Refinishing a Wooden Deck
Finished Deck Project
Here is a weekend project and how it was done. There’s more than one way to get things done, and here is one of them. I have a weather beaten deck that I do enjoy, but one that may not make it through another Colorado winter if it is not protected. I think it has been 3 or 4 years since the last time it was done, so it was time. Here’s a picture of how it looked before, and the steps that were taken to get to the lovely picture above.
The beater deck, after sanding
Hand Sander
Step 1. Sanded the deck. My deck is about 15×15 feet. I used a palm sander that I had. It’s what I had around the house, so it’s what I used. It took about 3 hours or so to get the area done. I probably changed the sand paper on the bottom like 15 times.
Notice how the water is seeping into the wood. That's bad.
Step 2 – Swept and vacuumed the deck. (The neighbors might sometimes wonder, and they are always amused at the hardware store, but the deck really looks good now.)
Step 3 – Mopped the deck.
Step 4 – Waited for the deck to dry.
Step 5 – Found a large paintbrush, purchased a one gallon bucket of “Exterior Transparent – Stain and Sealer – 1 coat” mixed it and started applying it. It was a type of sealer that had a blend of three oils. It was more expensive than other ones at the hardware store and seems to be
Water on the deck
performing much better than the last cheaper one that I bought. It had a reddish tint to it and at first I thought it as too dark. But after finishing the whole deck, it looks quite stylish. I used almost the whole gallon.
Now when water hits it, it beads up, is protected and ready for the winter.