How to Strip the Front Porch Deck Before Staining and Sealing It Again

Barbara and Phil Johnson, of Mobile, Alabama, faced the same bug other deck owners do. Over the years, the elements as well equally their kids and pets took a toll on their backyard deck. The damage and the advent were bad enough for the Johnsons to consider ripping the whole affair up and starting over.

Before: The impairment and the appearance were bad enough for the Johnsons to consider ripping the whole matter up and starting over.

But before taking that drastic step, they spoke with Danny Lipford, owner and president of Lipford Construction in Mobile, for advice. According to Lipford, the Johnsons' deck was in better shape than many others.

"This area of the country is tough on decks," he says. "I'm sometimes asked to replace pressure-treated decks that are less than viii years erstwhile." He adds, "Well-nigh of these decks are victims of neglect. With regular maintenance, a deck will easily last for twice as long." The good news is that most decks, similar this i, can be rejuvenated for a lot less than the cost of replacement.

AFTER: Virtually decks can be rejuvenated for a lot less than the cost of replacement.

Following are some techniques you tin can employ to give an old deck a new lease on life, or to help maintain the look of a new one. For this project, we enlisted George Graf, a lead carpenter with Mobile's Lipford Construction, and John Starling, possessor of John the Painter. Hiring pros is like shooting fish in a barrel on the schedule but difficult on the budget—the cost of repairing a 700-sq.-ft. deck is $700, or about $1 per foursquare pes. Restoring a deck yourself will toll a third equally much.

Steps for Restoring a Deck

A deck rejuvenation project similar this can be done in two days, simply information technology's best to spread the work over ii weekends to ensure the wood is completely dry earlier y'all apply stain.

Step 1: Making Repairs

Employ a pry bar to pull damaged boards. Remove fasteners and lift the lath directly upwardly to avoid damaging next boards.

Begin by inspecting the entire deck. Pay special attending to any part of the deck that is in direct contact with the ground, such as the posts, stair stringers or joists that are at basis level. Graf uses a screwdriver to check for structural impairment. "If you tin sink the tip of a screwdriver into a post or joist, it means the you've got rot and it's fourth dimension for a major renovation," Graf says.

Also, inspect the deck-to-house connection. "Screws and bolts tin loosen and rust," he says. "Without the proper use of spacers and flashing, moisture tin can crusade your ring joist to rot."

Tighten the fasteners that attach the deck to the house, look for any missing, aptitude or rusted flashing and carefully inspect inside and out for whatever telltale blackness stains that suggest moisture is working its mode into your dwelling.

Next, look for whatever cosmetic damage. For case, tap down any popped nails or consider replacing them with screws. For the Johnsons' deck, Graf used galvanized band-shanked nails when he replaced a few damaged boards. "Screws don't pop similar nails, " he says "but we desire the new boards to lucifer the rest of the deck."

Tip: If you need to rip replacement decking to match existing boards, utilize a tablesaw. Ease the sawn edge using a router fitted with a ⅜-inch roundover bit.

Carefully inspect railings and decking for loose wood. "No i likes to catch a 2-in.-long splinter on the hand or foot," Graf says.

Step two: Cleaning the Surface

Trim the replacement boards with a circular saw. Using adjacent boards as a cut guide is faster and more accurate than measuring.

Hither's the bad news: Every deck should take an almanac cleaning. Assuming they take been maintained regularly, almost decks can be revived with just a deck cleaner. Some products, like Thompson's Deck Launder ($33, ane gal. covers 250 sq. ft.), you lot mix in a bucket and utilize to the deck; others, similar Elementary Green ($20, 1 gal. covers 500 sq. ft.), come in containers with integral applicators that you hook up to a garden hose. Once on the deck, nearly however require a strong-bristle brush and a lot of elbow grease to work the mixture into the wood.

Always clothing eye protection and gloves when working with concentrated chemicals. You'll likewise desire to protect nearby plants. The level of plant protection depends on the blazon and concentration of the chemicals y'all choose. For weak solutions and "plant-friendly" cleaners, you may need to only mist the plants before and subsequently using cleaning. Powerful deck restorers can burn leaves on contact; in that case you should cover nearby plants with plastic sheeting.

For tackling tough stains, use a pressure level washer (well-nigh $70 a solar day), which is the best way to remove sunday-damaged forest fibers and tackle scrub-resistant stains. Graf recommends using a fan-type nozzle instead of a pinpoint nozzle that can dig into the woods. For removing the mildew, Graf mixes his own cleaning solution (see "Choosing the Correct Cleaner," on the facing page), which he feeds into the intake hose on the washer.

Go over the deck with a stiff-bristle brush to piece of work the cleaner into the forest fibers, and then rinse. The boards should be kept clammy in order for the cleaning solution to work finer. Allow the deck to dry out thoroughly earlier staining.

Choosing the Right Cleaner

There are dozens of deck-cleaning products on the market. Nearly comprise one of the following four chemicals as their main ingredient. Each is effective for different types of stains.

Sodium hypochlorite

This chemic—chlorine bleach—is good for removing mildew but isn't effective on dirt or other stains. So mix it with an ammonia-free detergent. Thoroughly rinse the deck later using this chemic because it can eat away at the wood, resulting in fuzzing and premature graying.

Sodium percarbonate

When mixed with water, this chemical forms hydrogen peroxide (an oxygen-based bleach) and sodium carbonate, which acts as a detergent. Information technology is good for removing clay, mildew and weathered wood.

Oxalic acid

This is effective in removing iron stains and the brown-black tannins that frequently occur with cedar and redwood decks. This acid is commonly establish in deck brighteners. Oxalic acrid isn't effective confronting mildew, then you may desire to use it afterward cleaning the deck with a bleach-based cleaner.

Sodium hydroxide

Also known as lye, this is the cardinal ingredient in almost cease lifters or removers. Don't leave information technology on too long, or it can eat away at the wood.

Be very careful when working with any of these chemicals, especially when they're in their almost full-bodied (premixed) form. Wear the proper safety equipment and follow the manufacturer's directions to the letter. Rinse the surface thoroughly and allow it to dry before refinishing.

DIY CLEANER

Here's a deck cleaner yous can brand yourself. Recommended by the U.South. Department of Agronomics Forest Products Laboratory, it's good for mildew and clay.

• 1 qt. sodium hypochlorite solution (household bleach)
• ⅓ cup powdered laundry detergent
• 3 qts. warm water

In a v-gal. plastic bucket, add the bleach and detergent to the water, so castor the cleaner onto the deck. Rinse thoroughly before applying a finish.

Caution: Practice not use a detergent that contains ammonia. Ammonia and bleach react to course a poisonous gas.

Stride 3: Applying the Stain

Mesh filters (about $1 each) catch any particles that could wind upwardly clogging the nozzle on the washer.

Once all of the repairs accept been fabricated and the deck is clean, it'south fourth dimension to utilize a protective finish. Clear finishes and transparent stains are fine for new woods, only for older decks, Starling recommends using a semitransparent stain.

"The grain nonetheless shows through, but the paint gives the onetime forest a clean, uniform color and helps the new wood blend in," he says. The pigment also provides extra protection from the damaging effects of the sun and will final longer than clear finishes. Unlike paint, stain is captivated by the wood and does not form a motion picture on its surface, so it will not pare or fleck.

Starling uses a sprayer and 2-in. castor to apply the stain. "Spraying is fast, and puts more stain on the forest than rolling or brushing," Starling says. Most painters and homeowners are improve off spraying on a generous coat of stain and then following upwards with a roller or brush to spread out puddles and work the finish into the forest. Starling, however, uses a modified technique. "Rollers push the stain off the wood and downwards the cracks," he says. "I don't go paid to paint dirt beneath the deck." Starling sprays on a light glaze, most of which is quickly absorbed into the wood. He uses the brush to remove puddles. "If the stain's likewise thick, it dries blotchy," he explains. Starling recycles the excess stain for apply on exposed end grain.

Starling recommends starting at an inside corner and working out, applying the stain parallel to the deck boards. To avoid staining the nearby brick, he uses a small piece of cardboard as a spray shield; the brush provides fifty-fifty more control around deck railings and posts.

This 700-sq.-ft. deck required about 5 gal. of stain — almost twice as much as the estimates indicated on the can. Explains Starling, "Quondam wood tin become thirsty. On some decks, I'll need to apply two or 3 coats of stain in social club to become a compatible terminate."

Subsequent coats should be practical while the beginning glaze is withal wet or they will not be absorbed into the woods. Stain won't skin, but information technology can wear abroad, especially in high-traffic areas. Starling recommends applying a fresh coat every other year. A clear water repellent can be applied betwixt stainings for extra protection.

Footstep 4: Redoing a Railing

Considering the original railing on their deck was in such bad shape, the Johnsons decided to replace it with a maintenance-free railing system. They chose Fiberon, a vinyl-coated wood-plastic blended. It'southward available in premade panels or as kits. The Johnsons liked the contrast the white railing offered.

Tip: Subsequently cutting the end post affluent with the deck using a reciprocating saw, remove the erstwhile railing in sections.

For an existing deck or physical slab, Fiberon makes a surface-mount bracket, as shown beneath. For new decks, the manufacturer recommends installing the posts before the decking and using metal brackets that adhere to the joists. To muffle any modest gaps where the balusters see the lesser rail, Graf recommends using a mildew-resistant acrylic caulk.

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Source: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/decking/21014865/go-from-an-old-deck-to-new-in-4-steps

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