Need Help Reviving an Old Deck


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Old 10-12-09, 05:55 AM
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Need Help Reviving an Old Deck

I have a small 6x10 deck off of the back of my house that is probably about 25 years old. It is very solid but became very dark over the years from neglect. The deck receives very little sunlight being on the north side of the house and also being alongside some tall woods.

I used Cabot's problem solver deck cleaner and a pressure washer this weekend and was able to remove most of the discoloration from algae, mildew or whatever it was. I still have to go over the deck boards with an orbital sander to remove some of the stubborn stuff and to fix up a few areas where I had to get aggressive with the PW.

Anyway, on to the problem. About 2/3's of the deck looks like clean bare wood but the part of the deck closest to the house is a weathered gray color. Is there was a way to restore the grayed part of the deck or can anyone recommend a type of solid stain that would do a decent job of masking the difference?

Thanks!
 
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Old 10-12-09, 07:53 AM
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I wouldn't try to stain the old wood. I don't know if I would sand pressure treated wood either. The chemicals are not good. I would just replace some of the boards in the places that still look bad to you & leave it alone.
 
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Old 10-12-09, 09:09 AM
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There is no way to remove the grey color from the boards. Using a solid stain (which is almost like paint) will bring all of the deck surface to the same color.

As for the solid stain to use, go to a local paint store (NOT a big box store) and put a few extra $$ into the material. You'll be happier with the final finish, and it'll last longer.
 
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Old 10-12-09, 09:16 AM
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The only problem I see with replacing boards is if they are still wet from the pt process, they may not stain well.

I usually use a bleach/water solution when cleaning decks. Often this will lighten up the weathered wood. There are also some wood brightners [more diy friendly than bleach] that can lighten the wood color.

Generally on a deck that old I recomend using a solid stain and if you do use a solid stain, you don't have to worry about the discolored areas - that won't show thru the stain. If you get the wood looking fairly uniforn, you could use a semi-transparent stain. As always you will find better quality coatings at your local paint store, not a big box paint dept.
 
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Old 10-12-09, 09:27 AM
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Thanks for the responses guys.

Does Cabot make a decent solid stain?

They also have a semi-solid. Could this possibly do the trick or will the grayed wood still show up different?

Which will resist scuffing or peeling better..oil or water based?

Also, do I need to do anything to prep the deck other than what I've already done?

Marksr-I think that the Cabot deck cleaner had some bleach in it. At least it smelled like it did.
 
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Old 10-12-09, 10:06 AM
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I think most of the deck cleaners have a bleach substitute in them. I rarely use them because imo bleach/water is just as effective and cheaper

An oil base stain might protect better although most quality latex stains do a good job and are better at resisting UV rays [may look good, longer] Oil repells moisture better but can be affected by any moisture that can get below the coating. If the wood isn't throughly dry - latex can be more forgiving. Basically there are 3 types of deck stain; oil base, waterborne and latex. As far as I know, latex stains are always solid. I'm partial to the waterborne stains but they take the longest to dry/cure where rain won't affect the finish and usually have a specfic window of time in which you can recoat.

I used to use a lot of cabot stain back when it was cresote based but don't often use it anymore. Since I usually bought all my paint at SWP, I also bought my deck coatings there. Cabot still has a good reputation as does super deck and silkens [I've never used any of the latter] While I've used a lot of solids stains, I don't remember ever using any that said semi-solid. I don't know if it would be similiar to semi-transparent or maybe between it and solid?
 
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Old 10-14-09, 06:51 PM
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Originally Posted by tomzpc
I have a small 6x10 deck off of the back of my house that is probably about 25 years old. It is very solid but became very dark over the years from neglect. The deck receives very little sunlight being on the north side of the house and also being alongside some tall woods.

I used Cabot's problem solver deck cleaner and a pressure washer this weekend and was able to remove most of the discoloration from algae, mildew or whatever it was. I still have to go over the deck boards with an orbital sander to remove some of the stubborn stuff and to fix up a few areas where I had to get aggressive with the PW.

Anyway, on to the problem. About 2/3's of the deck looks like clean bare wood but the part of the deck closest to the house is a weathered gray color. Is there was a way to restore the grayed part of the deck or can anyone recommend a type of solid stain that would do a decent job of masking the difference?

Thanks!
Tomzpc,

Hopefully you are in an area thats been getting lots of rain. We may still have a chance to save your deck.

#1, all coatings fail. What you want on a deck is something that fails so that its easy to fix, and not create a bigger problem than what you started with.

That brings us to wood prep. Please don't use bleach and water on bare wood. Yeah, you can rinse it really good, but if you've ever gotten it on your hands, you know that you can wash them forever, and they still smell. Bleach in bare wood will affect the penetration and adhesion of almost every stain you can think of.

Back to the grayed wood. A deck brightener that contains oxalic acid, or citric acid, will get rid of the gray no problem. Try a little dwell time, then pressure wash lightly.

Use the brightener on the whole deck, too, not just those parts.

Stain the darker boards first with the lightest stain you are planning on using. See what color they cure out to. Add a little brown or black pigment to the can to help the rest match, and your deck will look great!

A semi transparent will allow you to touch up later, but you want one that won't peel, or crack. You need it to soak in, but still protect up near the surface so it doesn't disappear...

Call with any questions!

FWIW, I'm a wood restoration contractor, that all I do.

Rich Littlefield
mbl 706-273-9181
 
 

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