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Decks

MoeCizlak

MoeCizlak

Built for comfort
Joined
Sep 21, 2007
Messages
5,131
Location
Iowa
Six years ago I built a beautiful cedar deck. One day it rained before I had put stain on it and it turned a beautiful, deep yellow color. For reasons I've now forgotten I decided to stain it a dark brown, not quite the deep brown of a nice cherry wood but pretty close. 1.5yrs ago I took the stain off with the intention of applying another finish to it but I haven't done it yet and my neglected deck is in need of help. It has turned gray with the 1.5yrs of exposure to the elements and I would like to get it back to that beautiful, natural yellowish when it was new. For you wood experts, is it as simple as sanding off the weathered portion and applying a stain? I haven't done a whole lot of researching yet but when it was new I recall there being some penetrating oils that were said to bring out the natural beauty of woods. My deck is uncovered on the South side of my house and gets full exposure to the elements with heavy foot traffic running down the middle. Any advice on how to restore the cedar to its natural colors would be greatly appeciated.
 
A remedy I have used, albeit ont treated lumber, is a high pressure washer. You can use it alone or with a exterior wood cleaner.

You would have to be careful when using it as the wood can be damaged or pitted with too high a pressure held too close to the wood. (Cedar is a soft wood)

I also use a a wood cleaner purchased at one of the big box home centers with the high pressure washer.

You will need to allow enough drying time prior to staining/preserving the deck

I believe hand/electric sander cleaning would be very labor intensive and time consuming
 
Pressure wash it but, becareful. Keep the washer spray moving. I used a approx. 3" spray path to clean and bring it back. You do not want to use a "fine stream ", that would, "dig into" your wood. Within a few feet you will get the hang of it with no problems. You can rent a pressure washer if you do not have one.This will bring it back, you have have to do a light sandingbut then again, maybe not.
 
A guy I know who does decks (He likes big decks) will pressure wash, but to get it to its true beauty he used a floor sander and sands the layer off, sometimes this requires the nails to be sunk again. Hand sander is used for the edges and rails. This gives a consistent look to the color. Pressure washing can leaves some grey behind and produce a spotty finish. I have seen the results of his work on big decks before and the owners looked very satisfied when he was done. ;)
 
Little known trick.

After you do what is suggested above, stain or not to your liking. Then, paint it with a clear "tinting base". This is the stuff the paint store uses to make the dark colors. Be sure it is the same make-up as your stain (water or oil based). This is essentially the only way to keep the beauty of the wood and get the UV protection of paint. A couple of thin coats will be invisible and extend the life of your sun baked deck.
 
I'm a contractor.

Go with a wood cleaner - scrub it down. And seal it. It will look pretty close to new.

Homedepot has it. Can't remember the name of it. I think it's a Cabot stain product
 
What's next? You gonna try to regrow your hair and "stain" it to get it back to it's youthful appearance? What's wrong with a little gray around the edges. Ageist!
 
There are deck cleaning products for this exact application. I would use Sherwin-Williams product because I work there, but Cabot is very good and at most Lowes and Home Depot stores. They have lots of mildewcides and mild detergents to get a good clean surface before you recoat. Don't pressure wash unless it's a last resort because the wood will get fuzzy and start the splinter.

Put down a good transparent or solid stain after everything is clean and dry. The deck should look as good as new. I would avoid semi-transparent because they just don't seem as durable.

If you have questions, you can pm me.

Good luck and enjoy the deck when its restored!
 
DePasta said:
A guy I know who does decks (He likes big decks) will pressure wash, but to get it to its true beauty he used a floor sander and sands the layer off, sometimes this requires the nails to be sunk again. Hand sander is used for the edges and rails. This gives a consistent look to the color. Pressure washing can leaves some grey behind and produce a spotty finish. I have seen the results of his work on big decks before and the owners looked very satisfied when he was done. ;)
Click to expand...

I see what you did there.
 
Thanks guys, it's much appreciated. Well, except Doc's comment (although it was amusing but please don't tell him that). Any arguments for water vs. oil based stains? Being in the chemical business, water-based anything tends to make my skin crawl so I guess I would be leaning towards oil-based. Matt, I like your suggestion of the tint. I think I will sand it as I've seen pressure washed decks and I don't have a steady enough hand to avoid splintering the wood. Engspot, thanks for the insight. If I'm going to sand is there any need for a cleaner? I would guess no but I don't know for sure. My company sells to Sherwin Williams so I look for their products when I can.
 
Clean it before sanding so you kill all the mildew and algae. Oil is always better for wood. Water based is trying to protect wood with the thing you are trying to protect it against.
 
Thanks bud, greatly appreciate it. One last question, for now. :p When I laid my wood floors in my house I rubbed them down with an Odorless Mineral Spirit (OMS if you want to sound like you're in the chemical biz) and it brought out a richness that lasts to this day. Would this be adviseable for cedar?
 
My wife likes the newly cut cedar color. So to maintain that color, I use a deck brightener and brush to clean the deck and a Sherwin-Williams oil based clear stain. I stay away from the pressure washer because it is too easy to damage the wood.
 
MoeCizlak said:
Thanks bud, greatly appreciate it. One last question, for now. :p When I laid my wood floors in my house I rubbed them down with an Odorless Mineral Spirit (OMS if you want to sound like you're in the chemical biz) and it brought out a richness that lasts to this day. Would this be adviseable for cedar?
Click to expand...

You lost me at "Rubbed them down." What were you saying?
 
tomthirtysix said:
I saw that Clint started this thread, and misread the title. Go figure.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it gets a bit detailed when he talks about his wife oiling and polishing his wood. :rolleyes:

MoeCizlak said:
Thanks bud, greatly appreciate it. One last question, for now. :p When I laid my wood floors in my house I rubbed them down with an Odorless Mineral Spirit (OMS if you want to sound like you're in the chemical biz) and it brought out a richness that lasts to this day. Would this be adviseable for cedar?
Click to expand...

I have no idea. I think it would act as a wood sealer, but probably not durable enough for outdoor use.
 
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