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Deck Power Washed...now many days of rain before stain!

171K views 67 replies 13 participants last post by  CDragon 
#1 ·
I have a deck that is anywhere from 15 to 20 years old I'm guessing (I bought the house last summer). The deck is in great structural shape but looks like it was never finished before and was very gray. Many boards have narrow cracks but all in all, considering the probable age of the deck, I think it is in good shape.

I spent this past weekend prepping it by:

1. I bought a snap-on 2000psi electric power washer from Costco and used that, along with some Flood deck wash to clean the deck. As I suspected, the electric pressure washer was just not up to the job (it would have been had I wanted to spend 4 days on it....)

2. Yesterday morning, I rented a gas pressure washer from HD and spent 4 hours on the deck pressure washing it. I pump-sprayed the deck cleaner in sections, quick scrub with a nylon brush, then waited 5 minutes and then power washed. Although I'm inexperienced with a pressure washer, I knew to keep the washer moving and not get the wand too close. I think it turned out very well and wish I had just done that from the start instead of screwing around with the electric pressure washer.

So now I thought I would be ready to stain....but the weather has unexpectedly turned for the worse. The weather forecast was "10% chance of showers" everyday this week. It started pouring rain last night and hasn't stopped. And the temp is expected to go slightly below 50 degrees for the highs this week and through next weekend. Current forecast calls for rain to stop Wednesday evening.

Questions:

1. I still have the electric power washer (it's a great unit for small areas, washing cars, etc so I am going to keep it). Do I need to re-wash the deck after all this rain is done? Or waiting a week or so after the pressure washing I did this past weekend is okay to just go ahead and stain?

2. I plan on heading over to a local paint shop that apparently carries Sikkens semi-transparent stains (which is what I plan on using, based on all of the forum discussions on this very controversial topic : ), and asking them but for now - is it okay to apply stain if the temps are hovering just below 50 degrees, as expected for this coming weekend? I hope to put first coat of stain on Sunday. That gives 3 days for the deck to dry, if the rain stops by Thursday morning as forecast (for what that's worth : ( )
 
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#8 ·
If you haven't sanded a deck (floor) in 10 years....

DO IT.

By the time a decade rolls around, it doesn't matter HOW clean the deck is. It's NOT gonna hold stain well, because the wood grain/cellulose/lignin is SHOT. The grain is crushed and oxidized.

I've sanded my 15 y/o Construction-heart Redwood decks' floor 3 times in 15 yrs. Still looks damn-near new. It's in full sun...no shade.

Rent a 12"x18" "Vibrating-plate" sander, a couple backer-pads, some 60-grit paper, and sand the floor until grain looks even everywhere. Get all dust vacuumed/swept/wiped-out with paint-thinner.
* Also- because it's now sanded, you don't have to wait DAYS for it to dry!
* Once dust is wiped-out...you're staining!

>>> NOW you've basically got a new deck (floor anyway!), that will absorb & hold stain evenly. Read this sentence 3 times....:thumbsup:

I stress this to my customers frequently up here. I usually get thanked for it...
My first 2 questions to people:
1) How old is the deck?
2) Has it ever been sanded?

Faron
 
#9 ·
Sanding is a good thing :thumbsup: Although, depending on the size, and if the boards are cupping, or uneven, you may be better off with an orbit sander ( the hand type ) I did mine last summer that way. Started with a quick once over using 50-60 grit, to knock down some grooves and remove any stain that was missed after I stripped. Then finished with 80 grit, to remove any sanding marks and even everything out. If you do it using the palm sander type, its slower for sure, but keeps you out of trouble. The big sanders can get you in trouble really quick. 80 grit is the highest I would use. Anything finer and the wood has a hard time taking stain properly.
 
#2 ·
Mark, no need to re-wash the deck as long as you plan on doing it within 2-3 weeks. Believe it or not some stains can be applied onto a damp (not soaking wet) deck. I like Deckscapes from SW but I know Sikkens is great stuff too. In a perfect world, it would be nice for the deck to get at least 2 to 3 days dry time before you apply the stain.........sometimes that just doesn't happen.
 
#49 ·
SW bought MAB a few years ago and MAB made the best outdoor stains on the planet. I would not buy anything else. I am sort of out of the business but I bet with brand names changes we are talking the same thing here.

Are you going oil or acrylic stains here though. You cannot put an oil based stain on wet deck. Let it dry. Roll it on and pray for no rain for 4-8 hours even at 40-45 degrees. You will be fine.

Like painting anything? Remember the rule. Two coats!
 
#3 ·
Thanks Gymschu. If the forecast holds then I should have 3 solid days of dry weather leading up to this Sunday when I hope to be able to apply the first coat. My deck does not get a lot of sun (which is probably why it's in good a shape as it is given how old it is and the lack of maintenance on it for so long), so I really want to give it three days' dry time.
 
#6 ·
I agree with NC. You should use a moisture meter. We own several moisture meters and it is our policy to always use them on all exterior projects, including deck staining. Sikkens makes some good deck stains. Nothing for nothing, but 2000 psi from a pressure washer is actually to much, with the right cleaner you wouldn't have to use anymore than 800-1000 ps i on a deck. I prefer to use per carbonated deck cleaner, as the cleaner does the work for me and it does not contain bleach which has lo
ng term effects.
 
#7 ·
Thanks guys.

I originally tried the Flood deck cleaning solution that HD sells. It didn't seem to work all that well, so when I ran out (it only covered about 1/3rd of the deck) I switched to the Behr 2-in-1 stuff. It seemed to work about the same.

I'm wondering if it would make sense to rent a sander of some sort from HD and give the deck a quick light sanding? I don't have many 'fuzzies' on the deck, just a few spots where I was a bit heavy-handed with the pressure washer. I wasn't planning on sanding but after lugging the heavy pressure washer into and out of my van, and doing the pressure washing (in-between applying cleaner and scrubbing with a nylon brush), if the sanding will help then I don't mind doing it.

Is sanding a good idea? If so, then what type of sander should I rent? I can't imagine an orbital is a good idea because it would go against the grain of the boards.
 
#10 ·
I'm glad I have been following this thread. 2 years ago, right after I bought the house, I re-stained/sealed my deck. The floors didn't last the winter. Last summer, I pressure washed all the floors and resealed again. Now they look even worse. All the slats and other vertical parts are holding just fine, but the surfaces parallel to the ground (floors, top of rails) are all crapped out. I think sanding might be a good idea to fix? The deck is about 8 years old.
 

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#19 ·
I'm glad I have been following this thread. 2 years ago, right after I bought the house, I re-stained/sealed my deck. The floors didn't last the winter. Last summer, I pressure washed all the floors and resealed again. Now they look even worse. All the slats and other vertical parts are holding just fine, but the surfaces parallel to the ground (floors, top of rails) are all crapped out. I think sanding might be a good idea to fix? The deck is about 8 years old.
That deck needs a thorough sanding. The floor failed so quickly because you put stain on a layer of dead wood. Wood has a component called lignin, which is akin to the mortar in a brick wall. Lignin holds all the celluose together. UV destroys lignin and the wood literally washes away. Power washing doesn't remove it enough to allow it to hold stain, and it must be sanded. Verticals don't take the UV pounding that the horizontals do. I did a large deck two summers ago with a floor sander.
 
#14 ·
So now it's been a full day of no rain and the deck has finally dried and....the results are not what I hoped after the washing : (

See the pic. There are lots of discolorations in the wood now. Overall it looks 1000 times better than it did, but I'm hoping there's something I can do to make it more even. See the 'white' spots and the leftover grayish spots? I'm thinking perhaps I could use some wood wash and my electric (2000 psi) washer to go over it again to try to even it out better? Here is a pic of most of the deck (it's showing up darker than it looks in person):



And here is a close-up showing the unevenness of the boards:


Maybe I need to do another coat of deck wash, scrub harder, and then spray it off after 20 minutes?
 
#16 ·
Mark, I think you did an outstanding job considering the age and condition of the deck. It is amazing what the stain will do to bring it to life again. I don't think there's a whole lot more you can do. Personally, I think you can overdo the prepwork........I mean the more you put cleaners on the deck and the more sanding you do can actually do more harm than good. Maybe test an area first before going forward with the whole thing........that would give you a better idea of what you're up against.
 
#17 ·
Thanks Gymschu!

I think you're right. I'll see if the local paint dealer can give me a sample can (I know HD has the small sample cans of Behr stuff but I'm avoiding that) of semi-transparent Sikkens stain and I'll try it on a section where there is a lot of unevenness in terms of the wood as it is now, and see how it turns out. I'll post back with the results.
 
#18 ·
Nice and clean Mark...very good pics...

BUT...

I can tell it ain't gonna look very even. It's CLEAN - yes.
Will stain hold evenly - NO. You won't like it for long, I promise.

The "surface-crush" of the grain is very apparent to me. If my deck looked like that, there's NO WAY I'd stain it. Don't take this as ANY criticism!! It's not meant that way!

I GUARANTEE if, as a test, you just fully sanded half the deck, and then stained the whole thing...you'd be sanding the other half the next day.

>>> It's time for a full sand my man...it's time.

Faron
PS...Cue Metallica...."Enter Sandman"!!!:thumbup:
 
#20 ·
I third the sanding. "See the 'white' spots and the leftover grayish spots?" Those will be more pernounced when you go to stain so you really really really need to get those up.
 
#21 ·
Thanks guys. So what type of sander should I rent - an orbital or a 'vibrating disk' sander? I have one of those 'mouse' palm sanders but I think using that would take weeks and want to avoid that : (

Biggest concern is the nails - there are lots and many are not perfectly flush or recessed into the wood so I'll have to use a nail punch and hammer to recess them all, which will be fun!
 
#22 ·
My cedar porch I sanded with an orbital sander. 12'x12', with stairs and handrails. Did it in half a day. This isnt furniture quality we're talking here :laughing: Real quick sand with coarse grit, it knocks it down fast. The 80 grit finish sand gets rid of any grooves or lines. It goes pretty quick. Try a bit by hand and see how it goes.
 
#23 ·
I described in my earlier post (#8 here)...

>>> Find a 12"x18" Vibrating Flat-Plate sander. Call your rental-places, or Hardware-stores that rent stuff.

* Get some backer-pads, and 60-grit sheets.
* You may want to just get 60-grit only. 80-grit can almost "polish" things too much.
* YES...definitely...knock-down those nail-heads first!!
* Please also: sweep often during sanding, vacuum well with the brush attachment, and wipe down with paint-thinner.
* Yes, I know, you didn't wanna hear that last step, but you'll be surprised how much more dust comes off!!!
* Use your palm-sander for edges, steps, etc.
* Most sanders of this type are pretty heavy.
* Make even, steady passes with the direction of the decking. Pay attention to the cord too!
* Prob'ly need a dust-mask too!

Faron
 
#24 ·
One thing that no one has mentioned is that a deck brightner should have been used after you cleaned the deck to lower the ph balance and neutalize. It would also even out the color in the wood. As for sanding 60 grit should be good. You can use an orbit sander or if you choose to rent a larger commercial sander you will want a vibrating sander and not a drum sander, as a drum sander will take more surface off faster. Make sure you sink all nails below the surface before sanding. You don't want to sand to much as you will reach a point where you can actually close the wood poures. After sanding I would sweep, vacumne the deck. Wash it again and then use a deck brightner.
 
#25 ·
DO NOT USE A BRIGHTENER/further cleaning AFTER SANDING!!!

When you've sanded the wood thoroughly/evenly, and removed all dust...YOU'RE DONE.

You're ready to stain.

* Sanding doesn't "close wood pores". It shears-off useless, degraded/crushed wood material that won't absorb OR hold stain.
* What remains is, in a sense, is "New" wood.
* The newly exposed wood cellulose/lignin fibers, whose structure is now opened-up, WILL ABSORB & HOLD STAIN EVENLY.
* Why? Again...because all the crushed fibers are now GONE.

Sheesh!
WHY subject a sanded deck to another "wet process"?!?!!?
You'd have to wait another few days for it to dry.
It's already clean.
If fully sanded, the top layers are gone anyway...there's nothing to neutralize!!

Faron
 
#27 ·
Respectfully differing with Housepaintingny-

EVERY stain company I visit with (especially people @ Sikkens) all agree that a periodic full sanding of a deck floor is the best prep.
A few U.S. Forestry and University studies on UN-stained wood left in the sun lose HALF of their Lignin & Cellulose...

>>> ...IN TWO WEEKS.

Translated:
* HALF of a boards stain-holding ability is GONE in 2 weeks, due to Sun-exposure ALONE.
* This isn't even factoring wear, dirt, freeze-thaw cycles, moisture-environment conditions, etc.

The only remedy: SANDING-off degraded wood fibers.

If you've sanded a deck, why in the He## would you need to "Brighten" it?!?!? You're back down to virgin wood!

Faron
 
#29 ·
I cleaned my cedar deck thoroughly about 2-1/2 months ago, in preparation for a full sand. I am just now getting around to sanding it this weekend. My question is---do I need to re-clean deck again, before sanding?

I dont mind cleaning again, just didnt know if a full sand was going to do the same thing as cleaning.

Thanks
 
#30 ·
A follow-up -

The weather has still been too chilly here in the Philadelphia area (highs in low 40's). I hear it will warm up later this week, so I plan on doing the following:

1. Re-power wash the deck using a deck cleaner and my 2000 psi electric pressure washer (I did as good a job as I could have before, using the rented 3000psi gas pressure washer, so I'm not expecting any change in condition after this). Only reason I'm doing this is because it will have been over 2 weeks since I originally pressure-washed it.

2. I'm going to stop by the Sikkens dealer and see what dark shade of semi-transparent stain he'll have and see if I can get a sample can of it. I'm going to try it on an area that is the most discolored and see how it turns out.

After discussing with some local experienced DIYers who took a look at the deck, they advised against sanding it because after closer inspection, just about 90% of the nails in the deck (there are at least 1000 nails) are slightly above flush and the sandpaper would just be torn constantly. I don't want to spend 3 days banging in nail heads so this is the best alternative I think. Those same guys told me to just bite the bullet and use an opaque stain, but these guys don't have the best eye for aesthetics based on their firebrick red-stained decks so I'm gonna give a darker semi-transp a shot first : )

If it doesn't work well to cover up the imperfections then I'll go with the opaque.

Once I make some more progress later this week I'll post some more pics.
 
#32 ·
I don't want to spend 3 days banging in nail heads so this is the best alternative
I'd rather spend 3 days banging in nail heads than be restaining the deck every summer.

Those same guys told me to just bite the bullet and use an opaque stain,
Don't know for sure, but I thought I read that the opaque stains will not last nearly as long as a transparent or semi-transparent.


I'm in the same boat, but just ordered a Porter Cable 7346 to go the sanding route. I've got 3 days off work in a couple weeks and plan on going after it then.
 
#31 ·
Hey Mark!

I'm sorry your "experienced DIY-ers" feel that way:huh:.
It's simply NOT correct.
I don't care if there's 10,000 nails...it needs to be sanded.
It also doesn't matter if you're using S/T or Opaque....
The same sanding reasoning applies.

I don't mean this dis-respectfully AT ALL...but this is like telling a smoker to quit. There's a million reasons TO quit, but somehow it rarely gets done...even though it's the right decision.

(I'm just trying to be funny making a serious point, so please take it in that light!)

I'll stop beating a dead horse now...

Faron
 
#37 ·
From the grey in the pics. The deck was not cleaned with the proper cleaner before sanding. Using a pressure washer on low pressure with the proper cleaner would have restored your deck to new, removing grey dead wood fibers, dirt, mold, mildew and leaving the pours open to accept stain. A deck needs to be cleaned well prior to sanding, otherwise you are just pressing the mold, mildew, dirt, and dead fibers into the wood.
 
#39 ·
Your one post says that you cleaned the deck about 2.5 months ago. Nothing for nothing, but it should have been cleaned again. Everyone is posting about sanding decks here, but the deck should still be cleaned recently right before sanding and in the pics you posted after sanding I see dead gray wood fibers, if a deck is cleaned with the proper products all of the dead grey wood fibers will be gone and the deck will look new again. I've taken decks that have not been stained for a couple of year, grey and black looking and after cleaning them they look new again. Then if you need to sand you sand. Most guys sand after pressure washing, because they don't pressure wash the deck correctly and use to much pressure causing fuzziness and zebra stripping in the deck.
 
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