deck paint

When I moved in the deck looked like hell. I knocked all the loose paint off with a stiff brush and proceeded to paint with "porch and deck" paint. It was all peeling two years later and this spring it looks just as bad as it did when I moved in.

First off I need to do more than just scrub the deck with a brush to clean off the old paint. It needs to be sanded. Problem is the deck screws are gonna tear up sanding belts or drums. I ain't got time or patience to sit there for months with a sanding block. The deck screws aren't going anywhere. Tried to pound them in, tried to screw them in. They won't budge.

Underneath the deck is like new. On top the wood is badly weathered and rough from the previous owner's neglect (he was old, sick, and far from rich).

It would be great if I could just take one of those big rental drum floor sanders and go ape-$hit on the deck. Then I'd stain it with something that actually penetrates the wood and seal it.

Will one of those drum sanders deal with the screw heads, or will they just eat sanding drums?

Reply to
mkirsch1
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I've used a belt sander on a picnic bench and went right over the screws. With a high grit paper (40?) it ground down the heads pretty quickly. Didn't hurt the paper. Keep in mind that you're sanding (probably) pressure treated wood. The dust is hazardous. Don't let that stop you, just don't let the kids play downwind.

I found the 'oil-based' deck stains dissolved in something like paint thinner. The wood loves it, ablsorbes quickly and alot. But the stain will only color the wood. What you want is a deck preserver. I love Wolman's F&P (Finish and Protect). I get it at a paint store. It is 'oil-based' in that there's alot of paint thinner (mineral spirits?) in it, but it also has alot of oil in it. I assume it's boiled linseed oil. This product gets absorbed just as well but the oil will get inside and protect the wood. For months after it will bead water. I am much more satisfied with this than with stright stain. I even made some of my own with leftover stain, cut about

50:50 with boiled linseed oil. Be aware that the BLO will darken the wood after only a few months, so if you don't want dark wood, go with a clear or really light shade. I use Cedar and that's ok for me.

I spent alot of time trying to preserve my deck. It's wood is about

25 years old now, 2X material, and still solid as a rock. They don't make this kind of wood anymore. And I'm sure the 1X that they use for decks won't last as long.
Reply to
John

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I am an owner of an epoxy business

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and I have the same issue on the decks of two houses. The stain etc. I put on last year failed during the NH winter etc. I've been pondering the best fix for a year or longer....

Here is my current plan - solvent thinned epoxy to seal surface - done last fall and it worked great thru the winter. Next a thicker epoxy topcoat (I have one with grit in it I may use - several options here..)

- then latex over the epoxy to get the color right (to match the stained railings etc.).

paul oman

Reply to
Paul Oman

Sand it down and then make your own Shaker Milk Paint (google for the recipe). It's easy, cheap, and you can add pigment to make it any color you'd like. It fades a bit on high traffic areas after a few years, but it NEVER peels or does anything requiring prep work to fix. Just hose it down, and apply more milk paint and you're done.

Reply to
h

The metal needs to be below the wood surface, else you will trear up the sandpaper. Stain is not likely to peel like paint.

Reply to
Phisherman

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