Once dry, these wood fibers can remain raised and may cause splinters.
For this reason, light but thoroughly sanding your wood deck is a necessary step before staining orsealing.
This crucial step will ensure that your refinishing job gives great results.
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Any of these will adequately sand your deck if used properly.
Remember that woods used on decks are typically soft-wood species.
ensure your deck is thoroughly dry before you sand.
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If there has been recent rainfall or if you have power washed, wait several days before sanding.
Knee pads and hearing protectors will also make your job safer and more comfortable.
The risk of reaction is especially pronounced with dust from red cedar.
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If power washing, take care to use a sprayer setting that doesn’t damage the wood.
check that all fasteners are driven down below the surface of the wood.
Some very old screws may need to be removed and replaced.
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If there are any loose boards, now is the time to drive new fasteners to secure them.
If usingwood fillers,check that they are fully dry and hardened before you move on to sanding.
Sand the Decking Surface
Attach 60- to 80-grit sandpaper in your power sander.
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Sand all areas of the surface decking, using medium pressure on the sander.
Check for evenness of appearance as you go.
Use this same technique to sand the top surface of the stair treads.
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When finished, thoroughly vacuum the surface of the deck and stair treads with a shop vacuum.
Here, a smaller detail sander may prove useful if your standardorbital sanderwon’t fit.
Vacuum the edges of the boards, then wipe them free of dust.
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Additionally, the handrail is particularly important to get smooth to avoid splinters that might injure hands.
On railings, use 80- to 100-gritsandpaper,and take pains to sand all surfaces and crevices.
Vacuum the railings thoroughly.
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Pay special attention to crevices and corners.
Your deck is now ready for staining/sealing.
Do this work immediately after sanding, before the deck wood can weather or get dirty.
