Is this worth the effort? My deck is about 10 years old. It is struct. sound and looks good (no rot or mold) but the deck surface is press preated decking that has over the years splintered a bit (bare feet not recommended). I think the problem is the guy who put it up prior to my buying the house never sealed it for two years and by the time I did the damage was done and the wood dried out. I have since maintained it every two years but it’s still checked and has these tiny splinters that catch a bare foot. I was going to rent a sander and hit the whole thing and then seal it to buy a couple more years and then rip the thing off and make a new one (but that’s not in the schedule for at least two years). Thanks.
Charlie
Replies
Just a thought, but maybe sandblasting would be easier than sanding. Sanding would require a fairly flat surface and will tend to sharpen any flaking splinters, while sandblasting will pretty much smooth and round over everyting. It may remove galvanizing on fasterners and will result in a weathered texture on the boards. If you have stainless fasteners, I'd sandblast as a first choice.
Charlie, the dust from P.T. is toxic , sanding won't put back the moisture or remove the checks either. you might try painting or staining , which may help to fill the checks and reduce the splintering . My choice would be to replace with some other surface like cedar , fir, or some composite like Trex would be my preference.
Geoff
Thanks. I think I will try the paint to buy me a couple years before the rebuild.
Charlie
Try a floor polisher with a course mesh pad. This won't so much sand as it will smooth down the rough spots and make the surface more sutable to stain or otherwise treat. I'd ixnay the sandblasting or high-pressure washing. That will only clean out the softer part of the wood, effectively 'raising' the grain.
BruceM
I refinished one a few years ago. Rented one of those large floor sanders and bought a whole lot of 60/80/100 grit belts. PT dust is toxic, just make sure you wear the protective gear. I spent a good day on in it with the large sander, ripped a lot of belts but the end result after a clear treatment looked pretty good. The owner was very pleased. Just my thoughts.
Not only is the PT dust toxic, you'd be sanding off the very thin layer that protects your wood from termites and dry rot. The idea is that the new termite lands, and croaks after the first bite, so it doesn't have to go very deep.
-- J.S.