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mindlikewood

Refinishing a Redwood deck in SF Bay Area

mindlikewood
13 years ago

Hi,

I just went through the process of having my deck refinished. The deck is about 500 sqft half covered, half full sun. The deck had lousy opaque stain that was badly weathered. I estimate the deck at 10 years old and the stain at 5 years since application. About 20% of the boards needed replacing.

I didn't do the work, I found a contractor who had done similar projects in the area and had him do it. The results are ok, but not as good as I hoped. I wound up spending about $1300 on the lumber and stain and $2000 on the labor. I think I didn't get great value.

This is the step by step guide to how I think I should have done it. If I had held my contractor to this process, and presented it this fully at the start of the project, I would have had a better chance at getting the beautiful result I wanted. This is not a quick of easy approach, but I think it would work well.

Restaining a Redwood Deck in Bay Area - Total elapsed time should be about 20

days. Assumes no rain at all for the duration time, normal summer weather.

Agree on goals and the quality standard. e.g. No glossiness. No rough spots or unevenness. Gap should be about 1/8" and all the wood should be installed to cup down.

Agree on inspection failure and rework approach. -If it fails a step, then what

will we do? Will it add cost? What about accidentally destroyed materials?

Assess wood, choose boards to be replaced.

Decide on additional wood, eg trim to be added. Note trim should be al single

pieces even on long sections. Scarph join sections when long pieces

can't be found.

Agree on stains (Cabot semi transparent oil), paint (Sherwin Williams Duration) and

primer to be used. Get all needed plus one gallon for paint and stain.

Take delivery, check color, get receipts, note formula used to mix color.

Light power wash deck, 500 psi, 40 deg tip, 18 inches away.

Wait to dry out for 5 days.

Go get wood at yard together, agree on quality and kind of trim. Shoot for older

wood to maximize color match. OK Lumber in Redwood City is a good yard to use. Buyer to keep all scrap / excess lumber.

Do a color check on trim, old wood, new wood, house with stain and paint.

Inspect all wood, get receipts.

Lightly sand (120 grit) all new wood to remove mill finish.

Remove all boards, including verticals.

Make temp ramp for access top back yard from kitchen door. Make sure ramp is dog

friendly.

Sand all faces of boards using orbital sander with 80 grit, get

into all tight spots with hand sanding or sharp detail sander.

Vacuum all boards with brush attachment.

Power wash all boards, 1000 psi, 12 inches away, 40deg tip

Wash house too.

Allow to dry 5 dry days

While waiting, fix substructure of the deck, clean and repair.

Vacuum all substructure, garage, driveway and surrounding area. No sanding dust

left anywhere.

Stain all trim. Stain extra trim to allow for scrap. Stain with brush or mitt.

Apply stain outside in the shade from 10am - 4pm. Set to dry in garage. Work

only with great light, bright and indirect.

Brush oil stain into each board on all faces. Use natural bristle brush, set to

dry on blocks in normal horizontal position. Apply only one coat.

Stain 5% extra boards to allow for scrap. Do not use too much, to avoid glossiness.

Allow to dry 4 days in garage.

Do all house painting while waiting.

Inspect and approve all boards and trim for color and quality of stain. Also

inspect against warping.

Install boards - remain careful to not scratch or mar finish.

Do not over drive deck stews, they should sit just slightly below flush. Position at least one inch from board edge. Use good, color appropriate corrosion resistant hardware.

Inspect all boards as installed. Check no big gaps, no gouges or scratches. No

warping. If any boards fail, use back up boards, use new spot for attachment of

board to substructure to avoid stripping out hole. Walk all boards individually

to check for squeaking or looseness.

Install all vertical boards, use small screws. Will require piloting holes first.

Inspect verticals for thin, even gaps, good attachment.

Install trim. Use finishing nails. Mitre all corners. Scarph joints, not butt joints when necessary.

Inspect all trim work. Look for good joints even miters. Check straightness of

lines. Check good attachment, give spots a light kick, especially on step

edges.

Vacuum up all debris and dust.

The End! Wasn't that fun and easy!

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