[gramps416]

Hello,
I am going to restain (penetrating) a deck, but before I do, there are a couple of issues I wanted to hammer out.

First off, I am 100% sure this deck is a CCA pressure treated. so the safety factor is at the back of my mind.

I wanted to know the options to restain this deck. Is it possible to flip the boards over to use the other side? easily? albeit, it will probably leach more arsenic into the soil. I dont want to repaint to avoid paint chips in the future.

Is it possible to restain without sanding or pre-treating in anyway (and looking awful?). If so, what product is available?

how is the condition of the deck from the pictures? there is cracking in some areas.

Some pieces need to be replaced with new ACQ lumber, but I think it is mostly Ok. Aesthetics is not a top priority but it is important.

What would you do if it was your deck?

 

[user1007]

Looks in relatively good shape to me but I cannot tell how dry it is? How old is it? I see the splits but it doesn't seem to be a structural issue. What would you hope to gain by flipping the decking? Usually I do so when I see extensive surface wear warping, bowing and so forth.

Have you ever put anything on it? How long ago and what was it?

Direct answer to your question I guess. I would put a color chart for semi-transparent and solid color stains in your hands. PM me if you need further direction in this regard. If I post where to find such things on the net people will get buried instantly.

I would pick a nice color for the decking to go with or in contrast to that brick and pick the same or two others to go with it for the railing sections, details and posts. They are really nice by the way. Love the finials. Usually people leave them off the tops of posts or do something garish and stupid. Yours work perfectly.

 

[gramps416]

Looks in relatively good shape to me but I cannot tell how dry it is? How old is it? I see the splits but it doesn't seem to be a structural issue. What would you hope to gain by flipping the decking? Usually I do so when I see extensive surface wear warping, bowing and so forth.

It is dry for sure. age maybe 10-15 years possibly more. I checked the structural it is defiantly good.
Is that ok for staining and sealing? or does it need to be more moist?

Have you ever put anything on it? How long ago and what was it?

The house was aquired recently. At one time it was stained a cedar like colour (i can see it in an area that was not exposed to the sun)

I would pick a nice color for the decking to go with or in contrast to that brick and pick the same or two others to go with it for the railing sections, details and posts. They are really nice by the way. Love the finials. Usually people leave them off the tops of posts or do something garish and stupid. Yours work perfectly.

unfortunatly those nice garishes and railings are in very poor condition, they have to be replaced.

Are you saying, that by choosing a dark colour stain, i can blend the colours even though there are different aged woods (if i replace a board or two)?

As far as splitting goes, is that ok?, or is a sign that aboard needs to be replaced. splits are maybe 1/16" to 1/8" in diameter. What i am trying to say is, i don't know when boards need to be replaced (what are the signs) or if all of the boards are in bad condition. I can't tell if the lifespan is finsihed. I can tell hardwood floors, roofs, other materials, but don't have enought experience with decks to tell if it's too far gone.

If I stain without pressure washing or treating with enzymes or cleaning it, will the results look poor? ( i don't want to pressure wash a CCA deck)