Do I need to sand after stripping

Even · 10-02-2011, 07:21 PM

We sanded the floor of our cedar decks but have a very tough "sikkens" on the rails that is curling off and we want to remove all of it but hand sanding would be a chore on ladders. So can I use a stripper on these without affecting the deck floor? Or should I protect the floor. I know you follow up stripping with a brightener but should I also use a brightener on the sanded floor? We have a few ribbed boards that don't seem to sand smooth and still have a few "silvery" grooves on them that I remember did not absorb the stain well last time.

Ron6519 · 10-02-2011, 10:15 PM

You'll need to neutralize the stripper with water. The water will raise the grain of the wood so you'll sand to remove the raised grain.
Protect the deck as much as you can. There's a good chance you'll need to wash off any stripper splash and resand to remove any raised grain.
The gray areas can be additionally sanded or the piece replaced.

Even · 10-02-2011, 11:22 PM

So i would not need to use a brightener? And I should not spray off the sanded deck to remove the sawdust we couldn't brush off because the water will raise the grain?? Just want to make sure I understand.