How to bleach "stain" my wood deck to whitewash, & how does it affect the wood's waterproofing?

Answer 1

Wood becomes dark due to aging and exposure to the elements. Sometimes it is necessary to bleach the wood to remove mold/mildew and also lightens up the wood. Rinse it off well and let it dry. Sand it down and apply a protective coating of Thompson's Water Seal or equivalent.

Answer 2

Wet down the deck first. Get it fully wet.
Spray the bleach on the deck in sections at a time with a super soaker gun or powerful spray bottle.
After you've sprayed the bleach on one section, scrub the bleach into the wood with a long handled scrub brush.
After scrubbing, rinse the bleach off that section.
Move to next section, spray, scrub and rinse.

When you've done the entire deck, let it dry.
When it is dry sand it.
After you sand it, apply waterproofing sealant.

Answer 3

I would say YES!!!!! If you don't space the out the boards ( about a 1/4 inch ) then water will lay on the deck with no place to go & cause the boards to rot alot faster pressure treated or not. The spacing will also allow air to flow threw & dry faster. I learned this the hard way & my deck only lasted 4 yrs.

Answer 4

i am not sure exactly what you are looking for, but if you want your deck to have white/gray color to it, you can use a semi-transparent stain. s/t stains are available in a lot of colors, including grays, white/off white, and just about anyother shade you could think of. go to you local Benjamin moore dealer, they will have a premium exterior stain in s/t and semi-solid, which will be a little darker/more solid. either one should work to whitewash the wood, and it will seal & protect the wood.