How much work is involved in refinishing a deck?

Question

My mom's deck is old but sturdy (she's renting too)... but I'd like to refinish the deck in exchange for their rent remaining the same for two years....

Before I open my mouth... just how much work am I looking at and where can I rent equipment???...

This is what I found on the internet.... didn't look impossible.

Refinish a deck:

1. Use a hammer to refasten protruding nails.
2. Trim raised edges with a sandpaper block, electric sander, or plane.
3. As needed, clean gray or dirty wood with a solution of 1 cup bleach in a gallon of water. Apply with a brush or broom.
4. Use a pressure washer to clean the deck, being careful not to damage the wood with excessive pressure.
5. Apply stain or wood preservative following the manufacturer's instructions.
6. Apply wood sealer following manufacturer's instructions.

Answer 1

In my work a large part of what I do is deck work. Certainly the most economical thing to do is rent a pressure washer and use it to bring back the deck to as close to orig. as possible. If in fact the wood was treated and isn't in bad shape, you might remove all the SILVER and find the deck looks pretty decent. Then seal it after it drys.

I choose NOT to use nails, and when replacing any popped up, I PULL them and use galvanized Deck screws.

Raised edges: Crazing/cupping/ cracking/crowning/warping in general, are usually things I replace. At the very least you might attempt removal of a piece and turn it over, judging the side that was down, and possibly OK in that any cup or crown might be acceptable on the flip side. I still suggest replace.

The balance of your list is fine, and it may be you don't need the bleach solution with a decent pressure wash. I choose NO chemicals, most especially because of safety issues and the damage to plant life. A nicely cleaned bleached deck might be great but the grass and other foliage on the surrounding property, might suffer.

Steven Wolf
AKA "The Deck Doc"

Answer 2

I would think just using a 'floor' type or big belt sander would be effective in doing a clean job on the walking surface - i dont suggest the water- itll get into the pores of the older wood and take forever to dry out before applying a sealer/stain. The stain would definitly look better then painting and protect alot better as well - before sanding - nail/screw down loose planks , remove/replace any bad pieces of wood , use a hand sander on the railings /stairs and stain same color as deck or a different color to contrast slightly. Definitly use a sealer when done.

Answer 3

DIY Doc hit the nail of the proverbial head.

ALSO, add to the list:

- taking a putty knife and cleaning out dirt, leaves, etc between the boards (the hidden scrouge that leads to rot)

- if possible, getting UNDER the deck and clearing out leaves, rubbish, etc.

Answer 4

This sound like a good plan . You definately don't want to use paint.

Answer 5

A lot.