How To Repair Paint On Wood Deck

Barbara and Phil Johnson, of Mobile, Alabama, faced the aforementioned problems other deck owners do. Over the years, the elements also as their kids and pets took a cost on their backyard deck. The damage and the appearance were bad enough for the Johnsons to consider ripping the whole affair upwardly and starting over.

Earlier: The impairment and the advent were bad enough for the Johnsons to consider ripping the whole affair up and starting over.

But before taking that drastic step, they spoke with Danny Lipford, possessor and president of Lipford Structure in Mobile, for advice. According to Lipford, the Johnsons' deck was in improve shape than many others.

"This area of the state is tough on decks," he says. "I'thousand sometimes asked to replace pressure-treated decks that are less than eight years quondam." He adds, "Virtually of these decks are victims of neglect. With regular maintenance, a deck will easily last for twice as long." The good news is that most decks, like this ane, can be rejuvenated for a lot less than the toll of replacement.

AFTER: Most decks can be rejuvenated for a lot less than the cost of replacement.

Following are some techniques you tin use to give an old deck a new lease on life, or to help maintain the expect of a new i. For this project, nosotros enlisted George Graf, a lead carpenter with Mobile's Lipford Construction, and John Starling, owner of John the Painter. Hiring pros is piece of cake on the schedule but difficult on the budget—the cost of repairing a 700-sq.-ft. deck is $700, or about $ane per foursquare human foot. Restoring a deck yourself will cost a third as much.

Steps for Restoring a Deck

A deck rejuvenation project like this can be done in two days, but it's best to spread the work over two weekends to ensure the wood is completely dry before you apply stain.

Pace 1: Making Repairs

Use a pry bar to pull damaged boards. Remove fasteners and lift the board directly upwardly to avoid dissentious adjacent boards.

Begin by inspecting the unabridged deck. Pay special attending to any function of the deck that is in straight contact with the ground, such as the posts, stair stringers or joists that are at ground level. Graf uses a screwdriver to check for structural damage. "If you can sink the tip of a screwdriver into a mail or joist, it means the you lot've got rot and it'south time for a major renovation," Graf says.

Likewise, inspect the deck-to-house connexion. "Screws and bolts can loosen and rust," he says. "Without the proper use of spacers and flashing, moisture can cause your band joist to rot."

Tighten the fasteners that attach the deck to the business firm, look for any missing, bent or rusted flashing and carefully inspect inside and out for any telltale black stains that advise moisture is working its mode into your domicile.

Side by side, look for any cosmetic damage. For example, tap down any popped nails or consider replacing them with screws. For the Johnsons' deck, Graf used galvanized ring-shanked nails when he replaced a few damaged boards. "Screws don't pop like nails, " he says "but nosotros want the new boards to match the rest of the deck."

Tip: If you need to rip replacement decking to match existing boards, utilize a tablesaw. Ease the sawn edge using a router fitted with a ⅜-inch roundover flake.

Advisedly audit railings and decking for loose wood. "No ane likes to catch a 2-in.-long splinter on the hand or pes," Graf says.

Pace 2: Cleaning the Surface

Trim the replacement boards with a circular saw. Using adjacent boards as a cut guide is faster and more than accurate than measuring.

Hither'south the bad news: Every deck should take an almanac cleaning. Assuming they have been maintained regularly, almost decks tin can exist revived with merely a deck cleaner. Some products, like Thompson'due south Deck Launder ($33, 1 gal. covers 250 sq. ft.), you mix in a bucket and employ to the deck; others, like Elementary Green ($twenty, 1 gal. covers 500 sq. ft.), come in containers with integral applicators that you lot claw up to a garden hose. Once on the deck, almost still require a stiff-bristle castor and a lot of elbow grease to work the mixture into the forest.

Ever wear eye protection and gloves when working with full-bodied chemicals. You lot'll also desire to protect nearby plants. The level of plant protection depends on the type and concentration of the chemicals you choose. For weak solutions and "plant-friendly" cleaners, you may need to simply mist the plants earlier and after using cleaning. Powerful deck restorers can burn down leaves on contact; in that instance you should cover nearby plants with plastic sheeting.

For tackling tough stains, utilize a pressure level washer (about $70 a day), which is the best manner to remove sun-damaged forest fibers and tackle scrub-resistant stains. Graf recommends using a fan-blazon nozzle instead of a pinpoint nozzle that tin can dig into the wood. For removing the mildew, Graf mixes his own cleaning solution (run across "Choosing the Correct Cleaner," on the facing page), which he feeds into the intake hose on the washer.

Go over the deck with a stiff-bristle brush to piece of work the cleaner into the wood fibers, and then rinse. The boards should be kept clammy in order for the cleaning solution to work finer. Permit the deck to dry thoroughly before staining.

Choosing the Right Cleaner

There are dozens of deck-cleaning products on the market. Near contain ane of the following four chemicals equally their master ingredient. Each is constructive for different types of stains.

Sodium hypochlorite

This chemical—chlorine bleach—is practiced for removing mildew but isn't effective on clay or other stains. So mix it with an ammonia-gratis detergent. Thoroughly rinse the deck after using this chemical considering information technology tin consume abroad at the forest, resulting in fuzzing and premature graying.

Sodium percarbonate

When mixed with water, this chemical forms hydrogen peroxide (an oxygen-based bleach) and sodium carbonate, which acts as a detergent. It is adept for removing dirt, mildew and weathered wood.

Oxalic acid

This is effective in removing iron stains and the brown-black tannins that oftentimes occur with cedar and redwood decks. This acid is commonly institute in deck brighteners. Oxalic acrid isn't effective against mildew, and then you may want to use it subsequently cleaning the deck with a bleach-based cleaner.

Sodium hydroxide

Also known equally lye, this is the central ingredient in most finish lifters or removers. Don't go out it on too long, or it can swallow away at the forest.

Be very conscientious when working with any of these chemicals, specially when they're in their about concentrated (premixed) form. Clothing the proper safety equipment and follow the manufacturer'due south directions to the letter. Rinse the surface thoroughly and let it to dry before refinishing.

DIY CLEANER

Here's a deck cleaner you can make yourself. Recommended by the U.South. Department of Agronomics Forest Products Laboratory, information technology's good for mildew and dirt.

• 1 qt. sodium hypochlorite solution (household bleach)
• ⅓ cup powdered laundry detergent
• 3 qts. warm water

In a 5-gal. plastic bucket, add together the bleach and detergent to the water, then brush the cleaner onto the deck. Rinse thoroughly before applying a stop.

Circumspection: Do not use a detergent that contains ammonia. Ammonia and bleach react to form a poisonous gas.

Step 3: Applying the Stain

Mesh filters (near $1 each) grab any particles that could current of air upwardly clogging the nozzle on the washer.

Once all of the repairs have been made and the deck is clean, it's fourth dimension to utilise a protective stop. Articulate finishes and transparent stains are fine for new wood, but for older decks, Starling recommends using a semitransparent stain.

"The grain still shows through, but the pigment gives the quondam wood a clean, uniform colour and helps the new woods blend in," he says. The paint too provides extra protection from the damaging effects of the sun and will last longer than clear finishes. Unlike paint, stain is absorbed past the wood and does not class a film on its surface, so information technology volition not pare or chip.

Starling uses a sprayer and two-in. castor to apply the stain. "Spraying is fast, and puts more stain on the wood than rolling or brushing," Starling says. Most painters and homeowners are better off spraying on a generous coat of stain and and then post-obit up with a roller or brush to spread out puddles and piece of work the finish into the forest. Starling, however, uses a modified technique. "Rollers push the stain off the forest and down the cracks," he says. "I don't get paid to paint clay beneath the deck." Starling sprays on a light glaze, most of which is apace absorbed into the wood. He uses the brush to remove puddles. "If the stain's as well thick, it dries blotchy," he explains. Starling recycles the excess stain for use on exposed end grain.

Starling recommends starting at an within corner and working out, applying the stain parallel to the deck boards. To avoid staining the nearby brick, he uses a small piece of cardboard every bit a spray shield; the brush provides even more than control around deck railings and posts.

This 700-sq.-ft. deck required nearly 5 gal. of stain — almost twice every bit much as the estimates indicated on the can. Explains Starling, "Old wood can become thirsty. On some decks, I'll need to apply two or iii coats of stain in order to become a compatible finish."

Subsequent coats should exist applied while the first coat is notwithstanding moisture or they will not be absorbed into the woods. Stain won't pare, but it can vesture away, particularly in high-traffic areas. Starling recommends applying a fresh coat every other year. A clear water repellent can exist applied between stainings for extra protection.

Stride 4: Redoing a Railing

Because the original railing on their deck was in such bad shape, the Johnsons decided to replace it with a maintenance-free railing system. They chose Fiberon, a vinyl-coated wood-plastic composite. It's available in premade panels or as kits. The Johnsons liked the contrast the white railing offered.

Tip: After cut the end mail flush with the deck using a reciprocating saw, remove the old railing in sections.

For an existing deck or concrete slab, Fiberon makes a surface-mount subclass, equally shown beneath. For new decks, the manufacturer recommends installing the posts before the decking and using metal brackets that attach to the joists. To muffle whatever modest gaps where the balusters see the bottom track, Graf recommends using a mildew-resistant acrylic caulk.

Source: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/decking/21014865/go-from-an-old-deck-to-new-in-4-steps

Posted by: booneanstly.blogspot.com

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