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I would use KDAT deck boards if you want to use PT wood. It is so much better than the stuff at Lowes or HD. Shrinkage, cupping, etc is much less. If you were to replace the decking my recommendation is use Coxwood 2x6 (actually 1-3/8 x 5) It is #1 with two saw kerfs on the bottom. Stain on all four sides before installing. Most of all seal all saw cuts.
UGH. This on our DIY list for this weekend. About halfway through every home maintenance/home improvement project we undertake, I find myself thinking "why oh why didn't we hire someone to do this"?
I got a quote for staining our 16 x 14 deck....$375 for labor. I usually ruin all Do it yourself projects and learn by expensive mistakes...ha ha. I decided to take the plunge and stain it myself. I had it pressure washed first by a professional company. I bought the Canyon brown toner by Olympic Maximum to stain the deck with. I wanted to still see the wood grain and at the same time give it a hint of color.....first let me tell you I completed the project in 6 hours and I was so proud of myself! It looks great! When I got done...I thought to myself..now that wouldn't have been worth $375!
I did use a sprayer and I'm glad I did...in fact it gave a good even coat. I bought the $20.00 sprayer at Lowes that's with the deck stain section. I first put up plastic where there would be overspray (very important...this stuff sprayed a good 5 feet when the wind blew). I sprayed the rails first. I then sprayed the deck floor after the rails were done. What took so long is that I would spray a board and then back brush with a flat deck painting pad to get a nice even coat. The sprayed areas look nice and even mainly because of back brushing after spaying a section. I also didn't spray the rails closest to the house, because I didn't have that much plastic. Hand brushing those rails took a long time. Staining is really goof proof as long as you don't put too much stain on in one area. They recommend never putting too much or putting 2 coats because it could form a film and peel later. I do recommend the sprayer as long as you back brush. It would go faster if one person sprayed and another backbrushed along side of you....then you could get it done in an hour or so. I did have to hand brush the steps as well...they look the same as the sprayed areas. When I sprayed I made sure I was going slow enough to give the areas enough stain.
The Olympic deck cleaner at Lowes doesn't even recommend power washing. Just the deck cleaner, a nice scrub with a deck brush, and a hosing off.
I used the Olympic stain for our fence a couple of years back and the stain didn't fade after 3 years in the hot sunny area of the yard. I was impressed.
Just a quick question... I have a job for a 3,500 sq.ft deck (not kidding), that needs to be stripped, powerwashed, sanded and restained. How much should I charge per sq. ft for that?
I've been painting and re-painting my deck for the eleven years we've lived here, and frankly, I'm tired. Very, very tired. I got on the Net and looked for the best refinishing solution that would last for more than a season, and there weren't that many.
But when I was in Home Depot the other day, I ran across a product called Deck Renew. This is the point where I should probably point out that I haven't tried the stuff and don't know if it will work as advertised. But I Googled it and most people who've used it seem pretty happy with it.
The big caveats seem to be that it's pretty thick, so you'll use much more than you think you will. I was planning on replacing the entire deck because some of the boards had rotten spots, but now I'm thinking maybe I could just fill those with Plastic Wood and put Deck Renew over the whole deal. It has a non-slip surface, which is good, but I'm afraid it will catch dirt and debris because of that.
So if anybody has any experience with this stuff, let me know. I'd rather not replace the whole deck if I don't have to, but I want to make sure whatever I use will last a while. Because, deep down, I'm lazy. Don't tell my wife.
I feel your pain. Seems like with pressure treated wood you can either ignore it or stain it and guarantee yourself a new annual maintenance chore.
We have a deck that wraps around the house connecting the screened porch to the walkway. Maybe 125 sq ft total. We used Timbertech XLM - a pvc based product for the deck board and rail. So far - its only been installed about a year - no complaints.
You could resurface your existing deck (its rated for 16" center joists) with it and be done ...
Just a quick question... I have a job for a 3,500 sq.ft deck (not kidding), that needs to be stripped, powerwashed, sanded and restained. How much should I charge per sq. ft for that?
HELP!
Any chance we could get you to post pictures? I'd love to see that sucker!
Just a quick question... I have a job for a 3,500 sq.ft deck (not kidding), that needs to be stripped, powerwashed, sanded and restained. How much should I charge per sq. ft for that?
HELP!
If you are going to sand why strip or power wash? You cannot sand if the screws or nails are on the surface unless they are stainless. Otherwise the sander will take off the galvanized or ceramic coating on the head and you will get black rust marks where every screw is.
I believe it would take at least five days to sand this deck using a commercial pad sander. This will cost about $250 in rental plus paper plus labor. However if your boards are badly cupped or split you are probably wasting your time.
I have a deck and front porch that were originally stained and then painted brown.
I plan on hiring someone to paint them again.....too much work for me.
So.....they should power wash them and wait at least 36 hours before they are painted.....got it.
Now, what kind of paint should I ask them to use.....what is the BEST?
Also, I have always wondered if they should be "sealed" after they are painted....would that make the job last longer?
Thanks in advance!
Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 06-29-2011 at 06:09 AM..
Reason: Edited out reference to deleted post
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How much to Charge?
