Re-finishing a deck.

Anyone have any ideas on the best way to prep a treated wood deck to get old peeling paint off and ready for a new coat?
Chemical,pressure wash,sand blast,or sanding by hand?

what's on it??seal oil.

I use a pressure washer every year to get the muck and such off. Careful not to get it too close. It will tear up the wood.

Probably moose poop.

you should shave,at least your back.

like finster says pressure washer,worked for me.

Just paint over all the peeling paint. Northern style!

I don’t know why people insist on painting or staining or otherwise treating decks built of treated wood. The wood is already treated and requires no additional treatment to make it weather resistant.

One of the decks on my house is over 25 years old. It is the same color gray that people pay good money to buy in vinyl planking for their bathroom floors (weathered wood).

I guess if you’re going for a certain look you have to do what you have to do. But you’re setting yourself up for a lifetime of unnecessary maintenance.

I thought you treated Everything in Beaver Sac oil

Thanks for the replies.That's what I did last time,Jurassic.It didn't last as long as the first time.
Winter is hard on it,as I clean off the snow.
The guy who built it for me recommended that I treat the wood with something after the first year.
The deck paint I put on originally several years ago held up well.The last time I did it two years ago didn't hold up as I just did like Jurassic said,northern style.Its not a big job to paint it,but I would like to prep it better this time so it lasts a bit longer.
Ordinary treated wood doesn't last long in this climate unless it has some kind of finish.
I'll try the pressure wash.

I've got a Shih-Tzu that looks exactly like your dog. Is that what it is?

Yes it is trapper 7,he just got his haircut.

oops,i thought that WAS Boco.nevermind on the shave thing.

We have two of them; Gus and Jack. Very smart dogs.

Jack was stolen from our place at the lake last fall. Fortunately, both dogs are chipped and we recovered him two days later running loose in a small town 70 miles from where he was taken. Jack's a miniature Shih-Tzu, only weighs 9 pounds. Really doubtful he could have travelled that far in two days.

when you pressure wash look at the wood and see the etched area, winter wood/ summer wood wears different when pressure washing, those tall winter wood holds up and the water collects in the lower areas and blisters with the frost freeze cycles. Even under 4 inches of snow the sunshine heats the wood and melts creating a frost -freeze cycle, it is amazing the heat build up under the snow with Feb-March sun. thats why the paint did not hold.
Power wash-- go through re-set all the screws---belt sander to smooth the wood ---- and leave natural.
Use a eraser to clean the belt every 5 minutes. you will probably need 5 belts to do that deck.
And a whole lot of fluid replacement in intermissions...........but since there are no Canadian hockey teams to watch, you got lots of time now.

I couldn't leave it natural,The wood wont last without some kind of stain or paint.
The first coat when new lasted quite a few years before it started wearing off.Because I just overpainted the old stuff a couple years ago without prepping,it wore off from the snow removal in a couple years.
I would like it to last 5 or 6 years the next time I do it.So I will probably go with the pressure wash and a sanding before painting this summer.I tightened up all the screws last year.
What about sand blasting?

That deck looks nasty, better get with it.

That's the way most painted or solid latex stained decks look after two years. Horizontal surfaces never hold up long.
Your best bet, if you have the energy and time, would be to strip the floor, first using a power washer, then after it dries use a sander of your choice.
Then get yourself some CWF (Clear Wood Finish) or semi transparent stain. These will give the wood protection but won't peel. After a couple years you power-wash the deck and restain. No more scraping or sanding.

Vertical surfaces, railings and stringers, that are already painted or finished with a solid stain will usually hold up for quite some time and make a nice custom look with the other finish of the floor.

That sounds good beachcomber I will try that on the deck floor.
Marty,I will have to do it soon,before the wife starts nagging me to get all the deck furniture put out there.

Powerwash, sand, coat with something and hope for the best. The north is hard on even treated wood.

I would move the "dog" (do you carry that in your purse?) before you pressure wash...… Is that really your dog or is that next years bait?

I wouldnt spend too much time pressure washing. Maybe just to get the loose stuff off . Rent a rectangular floor sander ( i think they are 14" × 20 " ) . Get some 36 grit , some 60 grit , and some 100 grit. Hopefully your screws are set below the surface or you will need to spend some time doing so . This sander will make short work of your project.

Like Beachcomber says , use a transparent or semi -trans stain in color of your choice . Avoid overbuild to avoid peeling. Solid stain or paint all suck in harsh winter climates on horizontal surfaces.

Also his idea on keeping the railing semi -soilid or solid stain ( not paint ) will give you a nice contrast with decking and save you from hand sanding your life away.

The only issue will be the top cap of your hand rail as it is a horizontal surface but it is the easiest surface to hit with a palm sander when needed

Thanks.

You may have to palm sand some edges but that floor sander will keep you off your knees

Boco my friend,
Here is a different approach that will yield a much nicer result and will be easier on the pup.

Reinforce any structural weak spots, then make sure that all nails and screws are properly seated. Then put a new surface right over that old wood. Here in the states the brand name is ”Trex”. I believe in Canada the brand is “Trex, eh”. The stuff has very little structural strength but sure works great on flat surfaces. It goes down fast and makes a dramatic improvement. You can choose from many colors and go solid, or get funky with a pattern.

Trex will be nice on bare feet because no slivers. It has grain so not too slick. Use it on railings and edges too.

When my new passport arrives, I’ll be glad to help. At our age it has a lifetime guarantee!
Take care, Willy.

Thanks Willy,I will look into the trex.
The structure is sound,and so are all the deck boards.
The deck is 30 by 12,so I don't want to spend a lot.I don't mind painting just want to prep it right so it lasts a few years before the next finish.
Like I said when it was new the paint lasted well for about 5 years.Second time when I just painted over,only got 2 years I think because I didn't prep it right(at all).The deck is level with the interior floor of the house.

I just checked out the trex Willy,It does look very nice but at 7.50 a sq ft for a 360 sq ft deck is more than I want to spend.
If the wood was rotten and needed replacing I would consider it.

Wow, that is an obscene price for Trex! That works out to $2,700 to put a new top layer. Simply outrageous! I had no idea of the cost or would not have suggested it.

I just called my lumber supplier. Here in Ohio enough Trex to cover your deck is $1,080. They have free delivery within 200 miles, but that is not close enough for you.

Must be those Trump tariffs Willy,lol.

If I had a chance, I would build a deck out of fresh sawn , sound, tamarack, and screw it down before it could shrink, maybe center screw it, and finish that later.

2" rough tamarack and just sand the top side.

Might get slivers,but it would last forever.Probably wouldn't even have to finish it.
Decks are normally made of cedar here.

Well, don't get silly and make love on the deck...slivers suck.

I used larch that I had milled locally on a deck at camp. Didn’t put any finish on it. It’s been five or six years and it is holding up well. I believe Tamarack and larch are the same specie?

Yep,Larch\Tamarack same thing.
Les I was thinking more of shuffling my old feet out to the bbq.

Ya I know, I was joking around. That's why I would sand the topside, then use some boiled linseed oil on it, like I did on my step. It will oxidize and turn a grey / black, but holds up well. I might even sand it again and oil it again. Water runs off of it nicely after that.

As a contractor I see this all the time. Horizontal surfaces are not for stain or paint. That said, its done now and needs to be redone. I would be very careful with pressure washing as it does eat away the softer wood has a habit of peeling up the wood grain. At very least use a rotating tip designed for it. A standard tip leaves edge marks that will ruin the look for a long time.

The best method is to scrape the flaking bits, sand and feather out the edges and apply a good solid (not semitransparent) stain. Make sure to follow the manufacturers directions as temperature plays a big role in whether it soaks in well or not as does the moisture content of the wood. Too hot and even a solid stain can flake as it dries before it can soak in at all.

Also, curiously we have found the new sienna brown PT spruce you will find in stores is nowhere near as good as what is likely on your deck. The older green looking stuff had a lot of bad stuff in it which made it last a long time. The new stuff only penetrates the wood a sixteenth of an inch or so. The old stuff went right deep. Arsenic is good stuff. lol.

Thanks Hutchy.So its best to wait for a few hot dry days to dry out the wood,then paint/stain Morning or evening?
maybe that's why the last job started flaking after the first year,I painted it on a hot day,maybe dried too fast?

About what we try to do. Did you use a semi solid stain last time or paint? We use a deck stain from our local paint store. Benjamin moore maybe. The lousy thing is, the scraping and sanding are a pile of work lol

https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca...GAGkEAAYASAAEgJxhPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

this is what we use. Had one bad experience, but the sun was so hot it was drying as soon as he got it on. We spray it on a lot too

I found temp doesnt matter as much as being out of the direct sun.

I am also a contractor and always recommend against staining or painting new decks and steps. People look at me like I’m nuts though and no one ever listens to me. LOL

They just go ask someone else what the best deck stain is.

I was basically trying to figure out why the finish didn't last the second time around.I used the same stuff,but the first time after the deck was new it lasted about 5 years before it started to wear a bit,then the second time it only held up 2 winters.I figured I didn't prepare it right the second time.
I will try the pressure wash just to get rid of the flaky stuff,then some kind of sanding I guess,and give er some solid stain again.
It still looked good a few years after the first job.

Whats that taser,a sander?
How much to rent one?

yes a plate orbital sander...……...rents here for 60 a day. multiple grits available anywhere from 32 grit to 120 grit. I would suggest 100 grit for your purpose.

https://www.flood.com/

Sand it and get a barrel of used motor oil.!!!
I like Les's idea. Tamarck and a no stain weathered look.

I'll never use Trex again!

Your stain peeled because of an overbuild of stain after your recent application. The film build on your deck surface must allow moisture to evaporate from the wood . This is why solid stain and especially paint are a poor choice.

Only the second application peeled,the first one held up like new for 5 years but had started to wear from shovelling the snow and ice off in winter.I would like to duplicate that.
That is why I figured I didn't prep it correctly(at all) causing the second application to peel after a couple winters.

Did the second application peel the first coat down to raw wood ? If the 2nd application peeled away from the first then adhesion was poor . But in the pics it looks like its down to a bare surface.

The second coat basically peeled off the worn areas from before.Plus more wear.Never noticed it peeling off the old areas that were not worn from snow removal.

Yes they are the same species name.
There are some decks that were sawn tamarach that are over 65 years old now and still holding up just fine.
Boco are you using metal edged shovels or the plastic type ?

Plastic and sometimes a small snowblower with chains.
Wood is sound.

I would just do the best you can, and go back to doing more important stuff, lol.

Yea Les,I will clean it off best I can likely with the sander,and slap down some sealer and call it good.
Thanks for all the tips guys.

Considering all advice, I would follow the advice given by Les. He said to screw it down.

I used to trap muskrats from the small ornamental pond in front of the office building at the Flood company headquarters. The make great stain.

Why never again use Trex?

I thought he said just screw it,lol.

He also said screw on it. Maybe he was confused and thought you said something slightly different than refinishing your DECK. He certainly seemed to mean well and was concerned about you. Much better than using sandpaper on it.

Semantics, lol

My wife and I used a deck stripper from home hardware 2 years ago and instead of re painting or staining we put Thompson water seal on it. Hands down the best thing I have used. No sign of lifting or fading and it’s been on there for two years now. And we are in a very harsh environment on the east coast.

Thanks Nova.

epoxy deck pint on a clean surface no issue for 11 years on mine but it is pricey

I am with beachcomber on this one. I used CWF right when the deck was put on and not letting it dry out. Seems to hold up well. Not many good preservatives left at least here in the states since many have no oil anymore. Probably pressure wash,go over each board individually with a belt sander and put the CWF on till it won't take anymore.

I’ve heard good stuff about CWF...Did a little research for an exterior project I have going and CWF came up a lot...

Well,I got started on the deck.I borrowed an electric pressure washer(around 1500 psi,supposed to be).It didn't take long to wash off all the loose old stuff.
Then I found a gallon of the stuff I had from before.Its waterproof deck stain and sealer.Had enough to do all the top rail,baseboard,and about 1/3 of the deck.
I'll head to home depot tomorrow to get another couple gallons to finish the deck.
Hope it stays better since I prepped it a bit better than the last time.
We shall see.

Keep us posted please. I have about 2,000 sq ft to do and am trying to decide what to use.