Sanding, washing and sealing
Sanding is a job best saved for fall, but if you’re in the mood for a total makeover—or if you’re dealing with lots of peeling paint—there’s no time like the present to sand and seal.
Random orbit sanders make quick work of large surfaces such as decks. (If you don’t own one, most hardware stores will rent you one.) Equip the sander with 80-grit sandpaper and smooth the surface till you reach new wood, or at least as new as you can get.
Once the wood is sanded smooth and most of the cracks and splinters are gone, it’s time to protect the wood using a sealer. When purchasing a sealer, look for keywords that go beyond “exterior durability”; decks need more than an ordinary external finish. If your boards have large cracks (the width of cardboard) then your finishing options are limited. A foam finish that would last three years on smooth boards would start peeling in less than 18 months because water would get underneath. In cases like this, consider a soak-in, semi-transparent stain.
If you’re faced with peeling paint, remove as much as possible before sanding. But, before you seal, sand or paint, you should wash the deck using a power washer. Keep the tip four to six inches away from the deck´s surface and use less than 1000 psi (pounds per square inch). Too close with too much pressure and you could damage the wood. Use short, sweeping motions and move smoothly across the surface to get a consistently cleaned surface.
Because I’m somewhat anal about my deck, this year’s spring cleanup only required a quick power washing followed by some screw tightening. I will reseal the wood come fall, but in the meantime, there’s too much warm weather to contend with. Besides, I’ve got that drink to finish.
Canadian Home Workshop contributor Jay Somerset has been writing about home renovations and other DIY projects since 2001. He lives with his wife and cat in Toronto. Each month he will tackle a home renovation project that can be done in a weekend or less. From insulating your pipes to installing a tankless water heater to tuning your barbecue, Jay will show you how to get it done right, right away.
What sort of weekend projects would you like to tackle? Please leave a comment below.
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2 Comments
Hi, Jay We are having a 55+y house with an original, small, rotten woodand aboveground deck. As it is in very dangerous bad condition, we are thinking to redo a new big (around 10x10) one. Can you please guide us with detailed steps for DIY? We are green hands, but we tried replacing renew our wood balcony in another house last year. So hope wiht your help, it will really work. Await your ideas, we appreciate, Best regards, Lucie
Hi I have heard of a vinyl flooring for a deck. What is it like, and is there a supplier in southern ontario? Thank you , Roylene