Pressure washing won't clean it good enough. Lots of old finish still showing. Don't think a stripper will do the job. Has anyone ever tried sanding an old deck? It is the standard pressure treated 5/4 boards. Thinking maybe rent an orbital sander. The kind they use for floor refinishing. Drum sander is out of the equation.

Might be easier to take the boards off and flip them over.

What is the current finish on the PT? Chemical stripper is very effective. Depending on your desired finish you do not need to completely strip anyway.

You can sand them. They make a large floor sander that you can rent and that works very well. Use 80 or 120 grit. Flipping them over is another option. So is the correct stripper. But make sure you rinse all of the stripper out before you refinish them.

Is replacing them with Trex (or a competitor) an option?

I'm in a similar pickle, not being able to decide what to do. The deck (and mostly) the log railing, needs stripping and refinishing...or replacing.

The decking I'm not too concerned about as it has long been my plan to Trex it. It is somewhat of a problem as when they constructed it, they built the deck first and then put on the split-log siding. So, the inside screws for the decking are under the siding.

The log railing, however, has had me really scratching my head. I recently picked up a sand blaster, and with either walnut or corn cob medium, I think I can strip down well enough to refinish but then I have to worry about filling all of the cracks.

I've entertained just hiring a contractor to replace them with new.

For your issue, I'd look at a blaster with the appropriate medium. Soda works incredibly well for stripping wood, but it you have lawn around the deck, it'll kill the grass so you need to look at a different material. Walnut or corncob was what I settled on.

The Trex will likely work. I’ve built with it but never lived with it.

My decks are under covered porch, so there is pretty good protection from sun and weather. As far as pressure treated lumber, I’ve used 2x6’s exclusively. A little more expensive, a LOT more durable.

You need stringers 12" on center with trex. Usually they're not that close if you have a wood deck.

Turning the boards over is not an option. I have installed a lot of trex for other people but don't like the stuff. Think I will try a stripper first. Sanding is sort of last resort. Thanks guys.

quote:

Originally posted by 9mmnut:
Has anyone ever tried sanding an old deck? It is the standard pressure treated 5/4 boards. Thinking maybe rent an orbital sander. The kind they use for floor refinishing. Drum sander is out of the equation.

Be very cautious sanding - PT dust will be irritating to skin and even worse for lungs. Traditional PT is an arsenic compound - copper and borate based are also used but be aware.

Trex or something similar is the ultimate solution. No more deck maintenance...ever...saves you a lot of your life hours. I wash mine off about once every five years. No splinters, no rot, little if any bio growth anywhere. Easy on the bare feet. Yea, I like mine.

I forgot to add - A fellow wanted my old redwood decking and he paid me $50 to haul it all away.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Is replacing them with Trex (or a competitor) an option?

Trex is the best composite decking, it's what I used on my own deck. I would have used Ipe, but my wife wanted composite. Ipe is the wood of choice if you want no maintenance, and it is cost competitive to Trex Transcends, which is the Trex I'd recommend.

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
You need stringers 12" on center with trex. Usually they're not that close if you have a wood deck.

No, you don't. If you're using 3/4 decking of most any kind short of Ipe, 12" centers is recommended. But Trex is typically found in 5/4 thickness and this can go on 16" centers.

quote:

Originally posted by sgalczyn:
Be very cautious sanding - PT dust will be irritating to skin and even worse for lungs. Traditional PT is an arsenic compound - copper and borate based are also used but be aware.

Correct. Sanding PT is not good for you, a typical deck is going to be the old arsenic stuff. The newer copper salt stuff isn't as bad, but it's still not good for you.

A reminder- modern PT is now all copper salt, and must have either stainless or exterior galvanized hangars and fasteners used. If you use bright, or zinc wash, they will be eaten away by the leeching copper salts from the PT.

You can't buy the arsenic PT any more, and much of it is at the end of its life at this point. Assume it is copper salt, and you'll not have fasteners disappear and your deck fall apart.

Timely topic. I'm in the middle of refinishing my GF's large ipe deck, about 2,400 sq ft. It was installed in 2015, and had been originally finished with ipe oil. I'm using Deckwise (Messener) cleaner & brightener, then re-oiling. I was really surprised how much work the chemical cleaning does; got off 4 years of gook with very little pressure washing.

https://www.deckwise.com/wood-deck-cleaner.html

I used a product made by Wolman called Deckstrip. Made for removing acrylic type finishes. Looks like main ingredient was sodium hydroxide. Did a great job and was easy to use. Now to apply a new finish. Think I will use a clear finish this time.

Galvanized fasteners are plain steel under the plating. If you sand through the coating, they will rust much quicker.

No sanding. Its clean. Ready to seal.