How can I fix my deck without replacing?

Denise
by Denise

A too powerful pressure washer was used which made the wood rough and some splintered. is it possible to sand the deck? or is there something i can paint on it to refinish the surface?


  15 answers
  • If it's wood you can definitely sand the deck to get rid of the rough, splintered wood. Once that is done, stain it, if you wish, and then seal it with Thompson's Water Seal.

  • Gk Gk on Jun 23, 2020

    You can use a belt sander to sand your deck. Do NOT use a coarse sandpaper belt as that will also chew up the wood. You can use a medium grit and a fine grit to smooth everything out as best as you can. If you have an older deck it is not going to look perfect or like new but it will look better. I would NOT use a paint type product to refinish your deck. I would choose an oil based stain product that soaks into the wood rather than sits on top of the wood like paint. A paint type product will eventually blister and peel and you will have a nightmare of a mess to remove from your deck. If you are pressure washing and sanding and you can get all the way down to bare wood you can use the oil based product. You may end up having some old paint products in the deep crevices that is difficult or impossible to get out but if it is just a tiny amount you can go over it with oil base stain. I use Armstrong Clark stain. The BEST I have ever used. It NEVER peels or blisters. It just fades with time and loses it's water resistant protection. EASY to redo with no sanding.

    https://www.armstrongclarkstain.com

  • Annie Annie on Jun 23, 2020

    As Long as the wood isnt rotten, a couple good thick coats of enamel paint should do the trick.

  • William William on Jun 23, 2020

    Yes you can sand the deck. Use a good deck stain. You don't have to seal it unless you leave it natural wood.

  • Janice Janice on Jun 23, 2020

    Now that you've pressure washed your deck, it can be sanded and either stained or painted. There are many good stains available for outdoor decks. Select a good one and apply and many of them are self-sealing. You could also paint with a color you like using exterior porch paint usually in an enamel.

  • FrugalFamilyTimes.com FrugalFamilyTimes.com on Jun 23, 2020

    You can buy a deck refinishing product that has a very thick consistency - it will fill in all those gouges.

  • Cynthia H Cynthia H on Jun 23, 2020

    Personally I would rent a floor sander to smooth it out. Then you can paint or stain. Good luck and stay safe!

  • Chris ruiz Chris ruiz on Jun 23, 2020

    Try sanding but if it’s still too rough, use Restore, I believe it’s a product made by RustOleum. It will make it last A LOT LONGER. We did this to a bench that’s 20+years and it’s been great another 5years at least.

  • Joy Elizabeth Joy Elizabeth on Jun 23, 2020

    There is a paint type product called deck over That creates a nice uniform finish over a deck that is in rough shape.

  • Holly Lengner - Lost Mom Holly Lengner - Lost Mom on Jun 24, 2020

    Scroll through some of these ideas for your deck:

    https://www.hometalk.com/search/all?filter=paint%20splintered%20deck

  • Lifestyles Homes Lifestyles Homes on Jun 24, 2020

    Yes belt sander, unless the wood is rotten.

    I like Behr’s opaque deck stains (the second most expensive line) for old decks.

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Jun 25, 2020

    Yes, you can sand it. You can paint with "deck over" but I would lightly sand even with that.

  • You can pull up the boards one by one and just replace the top layer.

  • Power washers are terrible for wood as you so painfully discovered. You can sand and then restain or use a more solid deck coating.