Need some deck refinishing advice

[steveh_131]

Hey guys, I'm looking for some advice on the best way to go about refinishing my deck.

Here is a picture of its current state:



We've been here about 2 years. The previous owner painted it with what appears to be interior paint. It began flaking immediately.

My goal is to make it look decent with a small budget (we are in full debt reduction mode at the moment). I would like it stained and sealed when it is all said and done. Re-decking it is outside our budget for now, unfortunately.

The boards all have deep grooves in them but are still solid and not rotten, as far as I can tell.

I have sanders, planer, table saw, circular saw, mitre saw, jig saw, etc. I have zero experience building decks but am handy and can probably learn how to do whatever may be necessary.

The decking is all 2x4 lumber, for whatever reason. These are the options I've been considering:

1. Power-wash the paint off, punch the nails in deeper, and rent a big sander to sand the entire surface smooth - then stain. But will that get rid of those deep grooves?
2. Pull each board and maybe flip it over to see what the underside looks like.
3. Pull each board and run it through a planer.
4. Pull each board and try to shave a fraction of an inch with a table saw.

If any of these ideas seem foolish, please feel free to say so. Or if they just won't work right with the tools I have available. I'm not sure how the warpage of the wood and other factors will affect my ability to plane it or whatever.

Thanks in advance for any input you guys can offer!

 

[Dirtebiker]

If the framing is good, consider just replacing the 2x4's ( unless they're cedar) with treated deck boards.
wait a year, then wash and seal.

 

[steveh_131]

Yeah I'd honestly love to replace it, but it's a big deck and don't have the budget for it at the moment!

That's why I'm considering resurfacing the existing boards.

 

[Mgderf]

Rustoleum sells a product called "Rock Solid".
I've used it a few times and it is everything they advertise it to be.
A solid deck stain, it will fill gaps in the grain.

Deck

It;s just a bit more expensive than a traditional stain, but much better product and it will last much, much longer.
I bought it at Menards.

 

[chocktaw2]

Try the pressure washer first.
Replace nails with screws

 

[steveh_131]

Rustoleum sells a product called "Rock Solid".
I've used it a few times and it is everything they advertise it to be.
A solid deck stain, it will fill gaps in the grain.

How deep of gaps will it fill? These have some seriously deep grooves in them!

Try the pressure washer first.
Replace nails with screws

Yeah the pressure washer will get the paint off and screws are a definite. It's mostly these grooves that I'm worried about, which I've read can be worsened by pressure washers.

 

[chocktaw2]

Then replace all nails, then hit it with a floor sander. The nails will tear up the sanding pads real quick.

 

[OutdoorDad]

Step one:
Wait until early summer.


You'll need a period of no rain before you're really going to accomplish anything of value.

Pressure wash it to knock some of the goo off of it if you like.
Replace the one or two boards with what look to be like monster splinters waiting to happen. (I'd butt joint a section rather than replacing the whole board)

And then wait a few months to do any real refinishing.

 

[steveh_131]

Step one:
Wait until early summer.

You'll need a period of no rain before you're really going to accomplish anything of value.

Pressure wash it to knock some of the goo off of it if you like.
Replace the one or two boards with what look to be like monster splinters waiting to happen. (I'd butt joint a section rather than replacing the whole board)

And then wait a few months to do any real refinishing.

I'm definitely waiting for warmer weather, just trying to get a plan and any supplies I need.

A TON of these boards have what looks like monster splinters waiting to happen. That's why I'm wondering if planing them would help.

 

[Mgderf]

How deep of gaps will it fill? These have some seriously deep grooves in them!



Yeah the pressure washer will get the paint off and screws are a definite. It's mostly these grooves that I'm worried about, which I've read can be worsened by pressure washers.

If I'm not mistaken, it will fill a 1/4" deep gap, as long as there is a bottom to it.
It really is great stuff, but you still do need to pressure wash the deck first.
As long as what you have now it structurally sound, it will extend the life of your deck by years.

Like I said, I've used it in the past, on no less than 4 different decks, all in states of disrepair.
Not one customer has complained, and the oldest one is at least 4 years old now.

The only issue I found is the limited selection of colors.
They only have like 6 or 7 different colors if I remember correctly.

 

[Mgderf]

I'm definitely waiting for warmer weather, just trying to get a plan and any supplies I need.

A TON of these boards have what looks like monster splinters waiting to happen. That's why I'm wondering if planing them would help.

I swear I'm not a rep for Rustoleum!
Yes, this stuff will seal down splinters.
The bucket it comes in also contains a standard 9" roller nap designed to apply it.
The stuff is pretty thick when you apply it.

It actually comes dry in the pail.
You mix it with water before use.
One more thing. Don't just grab it off of the shelf. The paint shop guy needs to fill an empty container inside the bucket with the desired colorant.

 

[calcot7]

I didn't catch if you said the 2x4's are treated or just regular #2 construction grade pine. If it is the latter.........you are just wasting your time I am sorry to say. Of course if they are untreated cedar or possibly redwood (which I highly doubt) they can be salvaged. If it were me I would either get underneath the deck or pull a couple of the worst, yet usable boards to see if the unexposed side can be used and then protected with whatever product you like the best. That looks like a lot of work and I wish you the best.

 

[steveh_131]

I swear I'm not a rep for Rustoleum!
Yes, this stuff will seal down splinters.
The bucket it comes in also contains a standard 9" roller nap designed to apply it.
The stuff is pretty thick when you apply it.

It actually comes dry in the pail.
You mix it with water before use.
One more thing. Don't just grab it off of the shelf. The paint shop guy needs to fill an empty container inside the bucket with the desired colorant.

Alright, I'm going to give this some serious consideration. Maybe that's the way to go until I can afford to replace it.

I didn't catch if you said the 2x4's are treated or just regular #2 construction grade pine. If it is the latter.........you are just wasting your time I am sorry to say. Of course if they are untreated cedar or possibly redwood (which I highly doubt) they can be salvaged. If it were me I would either get underneath the deck or pull a couple of the worst, yet usable boards to see if the unexposed side can be used and then protected with whatever product you like the best. That looks like a lot of work and I wish you the best.

I'm honestly not sure. They're definitely not cedar or redwood. How can I tell if they are pressure treated or not?

If the previous owner put in untreated decking, I'm going to have to hunt him down and have some harsh words.

 

[Mgderf]

Alright, I'm going to give this some serious consideration. Maybe that's the way to go until I can afford to replace it.



I'm honestly not sure. They're definitely not cedar or redwood. How can I tell if they are pressure treated or not?

If the previous owner put in untreated decking, I'm going to have to hunt him down and have some harsh words.

Any clue how old the deck is?
If it were untreated wood, I couldn't see it lasting 10 years without falling completely apart.

 

[femurphy77]

Be cautious with the pressure washer, it will etch the wood surface and accentuate the grains in a bad way. Not a big deal if you use a heavy sealer such as listed above. You'll definitely have a no slip surface after power washing though!

 

[ajeandy]

1) Never paint a deck with "paint." No matter what "grade" of paint it's going to flake off. The previous owners probably used porch and floor paint and figured it would last for a year. If you paint a deck with exterior paint it's going to start coming off in a year or two with regular foot traffic.

2) Whatever you do, you'll have to strip most of that paint off. A strong power wash and some pole sanding will be a good start.

3) I'd also recommend using a pre-stain cleaner of some sort in addition to power washing it. You can buy deck cleaners at your local hardware store, or you can use a bleach mixture.

Rock Solid sounds a lot like Rustoleum Restore, which is essentially a heavy bodied paint and sand mixture that fills in damaged wood cracks (up to 1/4") and "resurfaces" your deck. These are considered resurfacers because they don't soak into the wood they lay on top and bond to the wood, creating a textured surface when dry.

These products are....well hit and miss I'd say...In Indiana I wouldn't consider any of these to be a sure thing. These type of products are very thick and require 2 coats to apply correctly, hence you have to buy a lot more product than you would of a deck stain.

Do some research on...

a) Olympic Rescue it / Rescue it light
b) Behr Deck Over
c) Rustoleum Restore
d) Rustoleum Rock Solid

See if you want to go down this path and how much it's going to cost you.

Last I checked Behr/Olympic were the lowest cost options of these.

It's a tough call...Personally I like the semi-transparent / semi-solid stains better but you really have to strip everything from the deck before you can apply these.

Your easiest option is going to be to get most of that off and put a solid stain on it. Hard to say how long it will hold up though. The resurfacers are going to cost you at lealst 2-3 times more than a solid stain but should last quite a bit longer.

 

[steveh_131]

Guys, I really appreciate all the insight.

I priced Rustoleum Rock Solid, as an example - I'm looking at $360 based on manufacturer recommendations, and reviews are saying those are underestimating it.

That is about 70% of what it would cost to buy all new decking... wondering if this makes economical sense. Especially if my climate makes its effectiveness uncertain.

 

[printcraft]

In the mean time, check Menards for sales on decking.
I just finished a build late last year and got the thick deck decking material for 1/2 off the normal price.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

If I'm picturing your description accurately, you'll never be able to sand out or plane out the cracks and checks. Even if you did, you might make the decking so thin that it might no longer be adequate for the spacing of your joists.

Somebody else mentioned trying to flip them over and using the other side and refasten. I haven't done tons of deck work but in my experience, removing decking and keeping it undamaged is a tough row to hoe. If they used spiral shank nails, those things really tend to hold. I've found them next to impossible to pull. If they used deck screws, my luck has been, the heads will strip out really easily or they'll break off. You could try using a recip saw and just cutting won't pull or unscrew but just prepare your self for considerable clean up work.

I would not recommend trying to plane used deck boards. One unremoved screw will ruin your blades, not to mention all the grit embedded in the wood will dull them very quickly.

Another option might be to power wash it as best you can, refasten any loose deck boards, re-stain, and then add an outdoor rug where you'll be spending most of your time. Just cleaning it up and restaining it will improve it a ton.

 

[steveh_131]

If I'm picturing your description accurately, you'll never be able to sand out or plane out the cracks and checks. Even if you did, you might make the decking so thin that it might no longer be adequate for the spacing of your joists.

They are bad grooves for sure, but this is also 2x4 decking instead of standard thickness - I was hoping I could get away with taking off some height considering they're much thicker to begin with.

Somebody else mentioned trying to flip them over and using the other side and refasten. I haven't done tons of deck work but in my experience, removing decking and keeping it undamaged is a tough row to hoe. If they used spiral shank nails, those things really tend to hold. I've found them next to impossible to pull. If they used deck screws, my luck has been, the heads will strip out really easily or they'll break off. You could try using a recip saw and just cutting won't pull or unscrew but just prepare your self for considerable clean up work.


I would not recommend trying to plane used deck boards. One unremoved screw will ruin your blades, not to mention all the grit embedded in the wood will dull them very quickly.

You're right. Trying to pull these boards intact would probably not end well, and I'd burn through planer blades pretty fast.

Another option might be to power wash it as best you can, refasten any loose deck boards, re-stain, and then add an outdoor rug where you'll be spending most of your time. Just cleaning it up and restaining it will improve it a ton.

Seems like my best option. I can't really justify spending hundreds of dollars trying to restore these boards that need to be replaced. Maybe better to just do this to hold us over for a couple years until our budget allows me to replace it all.