NF - Pressure Treated Wood Deck Refinishing Help

[adempsey]

Figured I would get some good advice on OFC, so here goes.

 

I bought a house about 1.5 years ago. It has a pressure treated wood deck that's about 500 sq ft (maybe bigger, I need to measure it) and probably 2-3 years old. The deck has never been cleaned or treated as far as I know. Water does not bead off of it, that's for sure. The boards (2" x 12' I think) are cupped and have some cracks, but none so bad that they are structurally unsound.

 

Now, I know nothing about this stuff. I lived in Toronto in a condo for 10 years. I don't even own tools.

 

Anyway, my plan was to buy a pressure washer and clean it up. Then use either Cabot's Australian Timber Oil or Sikkens Cetol SRD on it. Slightly tinted (just for the added protection, not the look). My internet "research" suggests these two products are pretty good. Other suggestions would be welcome.

 

Then I started thinking, well, if I spend $300+ on a pressure washer maybe I should just hire someone to do it instead. Hopefully it lasts a couple of years. I dunno. Not even sure what hiring someone would cost me. I'd probably find other uses for the pressure washer though, but it's not like I would use it every day. I suppose I could rent one also.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[DRIFTER_016]

First clean with deck cleaner: http://www.deckstainhelp.com/best-deck-cleaners/

And then either stain or seal with Thompsons water seal.

[BillM]

Pressure washing a deck can do more harm then good, be careful if that's the route you go.

[adempsey]

Yes, I did forget to mention that I will be using a deck cleaner or maybe bleach+TSP as recommended by Sikkens (although, I read bleach might be bad, so I dunno).

 

However, I have read that the Thompsons stuff is a wax based product and is a bad choice for treating the wood. I think I recall something about not lasting even a year and having no UV protection. Just read a lot of anecdotal information from many different forums on how it's a bad choice so figured I wouldn't risk it. How has your experience been?

[adempsey]

Pressure washing a deck can do more harm then good, be careful if that's the route you go.

Should I just scrub with a coarse brush and use my garden hose then? The deck isn't that stained, just very grey. Definitely would make it "easier" if I didn't have to worry about purchasing a pressure washer. There is an area that is always shaded in a corner and it has a bit of a green life to it, but that's the only spot.

[Sinker]

Best thing I've ever put on PT lumber is transmission fluid. No, I'm not kidding. It lasts forever, looks awesome, and provides great protection.

 

S.

[paul_614]

the pressure washer can raise the fibres in the wood if the spray is too hard. You can add sanding if that happens. A good stiff brush and hose is my choice.

[Headhunter]

I would not use a pressure washer on a wooden deck... again! LOL

Unless your washer has adjustable pressure, as mentioned above, you will be doing more damage than good.

I'm somewaht surprised that a 2-3 year old deck has cupping issues. Is it possible for you to flip the boards (I know, a lot of work) and start new with the fresh side.

Given that the deck is already cupping, I would simply finish the raw wood and be done with it... the cupping concerns me and tells me that those boards won't be on there for that long anyway, so you might as well just do a quick and easy job by sealing it with your product/colour of choice.

HH

[adempsey]

It's possible the deck is older. I just guessed and don't recall what the previous owner told me. It was expanded at one point as well. I could flip the boards, but not sure what the other side is like (bowed out?). They aren't cupped that badly, but there are a few boards where the water pools a bit. They are all still fastened securely and nothing seems structurally unsound in the least.

[Headhunter]

You now the rules, no pic, no deck! lol

Perhpas a pic of the offending deck would help you get some answers from folks far more knowledgable then me...

HH

[mercman]

Power wash it with the "FAN" tip, no closer than 12-14 inches. What you are trying to do, is get the dirt out of the cracks, not remove the color from the boards. What ever product you use, make sure it has a high SPF(sun protection factor)

[irishfield]

Best thing I've ever put on PT lumber is transmission fluid. No, I'm not kidding. It lasts forever, looks awesome, and provides great protection.

 

S.

Probably smells like the bottom of my old Plymouth on an hot day tooo... but who doesn't love the smell of burning tranny fluid.

 

..would be a neat colour for sure!

Edited May 7, 2013 by irishfield

[adempsey]

Ok, here are some pictures if you want them.

 

Looking East

 

Looking West

 

Middle

 

Semi-closeup 1

 

Semi-closeup 2

 

Close-up (most of the deck looks like this)

 

Shaded corner - only area with algae/moss

 

Visitor

[davey buoy]

I would just use a deck stain of your choice. A little bleach to get rid of the green,use a roller to put it on. Protected for a couple or more years. The deck just looks weathered to me.I nice look IMO.

[adempsey]

Ya, I don't mind how it looks at all. My goal is to do whatever I have to do to make it last.

[mr blizzard]

The deck looks in amazing shape, it has a natural look, pressure washing is great if u know what your doing but if your not you will destroy the look of the deck in seconds, built many decks back east and refaced several;

 

The choice is yours but as mentioned get a deck cleaner and brush, then I would apply a water seal.

 

IF you want to stain it MAKE SURE you watch the night time temps for a period of at least 5 nights for the period after u want to stain, because depending on the type of stain expansion and contraction from night to day temps may have you saying" shucks "just a few hundred times as your redoing it.

[adempsey]

WRT pressure washing. No, I don't know what I am doing, lol. I think I will clean it with a brush with some commercial cleaners. I was only considering the semi-stain route because it was often recommended to be longer lasting. Although, if just sealing it isn't too difficult, I don't mind doing that every year if I have to.

[Old Ironmaker]

Should I just scrub with a coarse brush and use my garden hose then? The deck isn't that stained, just very grey. Definitely would make it "easier" if I didn't have to worry about purchasing a pressure washer. There is an area that is always shaded in a corner and it has a bit of a green life to it, but that's the only spot.

 

Now here's something I really know about besides making iron.

 

Mix 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of laundry bleach and 1/3 cup of dish soap. That is your deck wash. For 500 square feet you could cut that in half. That's a small deck and doesn't require a pressure washer. And the folks here are 100% correct, a power washer in the wrong hands can destroy a deck, for certain. Wet it with hour garden hose and apply your deck wash about a 4x4 section at a time, and scrub with a stiff bristled broom or deck brush. Rinse with water, plenty of water.

 

I do not recommend a deck sealer of any kind. A penetrating stain is fine, do a test spot to check on a section of the facia to test for final results. Sealers have a tendency to crack, peel and spall.

 

The greying is natural, you will never get that new look of pressure treated or cedar lumber.

 

Once clean the deck boards need to be dry before applying anything to the deck. Tape a 5" square piece of 6mil poly with duct tape to a deck board. In the morning check to see if any moisture is beading on the underside of the poly, when there is no beading the deck is dry enough to apply whatever you decide to.

 

I have a nearly 35 year old deck and fence at Mom and Dads I built and clean every other year and applied a penetrating stain only once 20 years ago.. It looks like new. Stay away from any Thompson products in my opinion.

[davey buoy]

Now here's something I really know about besides making iron.

 

Mix 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of laundry bleach and 1/3 cup of dish soap. That is your deck wash. For 500 square feet you could cut that in half. That's a small deck and doesn't require a pressure washer. And the folks here are 100% correct, a power washer in the wrong hands can destroy a deck, for certain. Wet it with hour garden hose and apply your deck wash about a 4x4 section at a time, and scrub with a stiff bristled broom or deck brush. Rinse with water, plenty of water.

 

I do not recommend a deck sealer of any kind. A penetrating stain is fine, do a test spot to check on a section of the facia to test for final results. Sealers have a tendency to crack, peel and spall.

 

The greying is natural, you will never get that new look of pressure treated or cedar lumber.

 

Once clean the deck boards need to be dry before applying anything to the deck. Tape a 5" square piece of 6mil poly with duct tape to a deck board. In the morning check to see if any moisture is beading on the underside of the poly, when there is no beading the deck is dry enough to apply whatever you decide to.

 

I have a nearly 35 year old deck and fence at Mom and Dads I built and clean every other year and applied a penetrating stain only once 20 years ago.. It looks like new. Stay away from any Thompson products in my opinion.

[Old Ironmaker]

I misread 500 sqft as 50 sqft. That's a nice deck you have. A gallon of the mix should do it. By the way that deck is as clean as a whistle except for the one small spot of green. For certain NO POWERWASHER required. The only problem you have there is where whomever built it butted the deck boards together and didn't stagger them, that is a problem. The ends of those boards will rot early. I would remove them and stagger them as they should be. If you do need to put in a few new boards they will eventually fade and match the old ones in a few years. If you do need to install a few new boards in the main field of the deck where the but joints aren't staggered remove a few from the outside course and set the new lumber where it would be less conspicuous, like along the brick kneewall.

 

Or just PM me and I'll bring my tools with me. Lunch required.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Old Ironmaker

[workwear]

being in the trade......whatever you use, there is a very strong possibility it will lift!!!...oldironmaker has the best advice.....use a deep penetrating oil...cabots timber oil is good..i generally use penofin......its also recomended for ipe wood...

 

good luck

[adempsey]

Thanks for all the excellent advice, much appreciated. The deck boards that are butted together are a small section that I believe was added on at a later date.

 

I read some good reviews about Penofin (amongst others like Armstrong Clark), but no clue where to buy that. I've been looking around at the big box stores and various paint shops but they all primarily carry their own brands. The "best" I could locate so far was Sikkens Cetol SRD and the Cabot's ATO. However, I am a bit concerned because I think they are both more recent formulations that are hybrid oil/water based (wash with water) which aren't getting as good reviews.

Edited May 7, 2013 by FishLogic

[Jon]

Very timely question as I was going to ask a similar one in a day or two. We finished our deck last year and when we started, it was in similar shape to yours. We used Sico deck cleaner and then power washed it. When dry, we used a Sico semi-transparent stain. Worked well until the snow melted this spring, when we realized that all the stain was peeling off. A rep from Dulux (also makes Sico) suggested that the deck had been previously treated with Thompson's water seal. We're not sure if that was the case but when we moved in, we found a container of Thompson's in the basement. The few people we have talked to since suggest sanding the deck. We might try this but with a smaller section to see what happens.

 

Good luck with your deck!

 

Jon

[workwear]

where bouts are ya located....my dealer sells penofin...glad to hook you up

[kickingfrog]

Timely for me as well. The house we just moved into has a deck, we previously had a stone patio. The previous owners of the house took very good care of it and since we intend to stay a long time I would like to look after things. Once we're unpacked and I find a place for everything I'll tackle the deck. Thanks.