Deck rejuvenation

Rob Keeble

Member
Messages
12,633
Location
GTA Ontario Canada
So this could probably go in two places either here or construction. Mods can move if desired.


So i one of the first things we did coming to Canada and buying a new home was to put on a deck. Me being a tradditionalist of sorts ( when it suites me :rofl:) I just had to have a cedar deck. Well the lady at the depot warned me the first year that this was probably the last time i see the nice new cedar look so enjoy it as its downhill from there.

Well its 10 years later. Two seasons ago i had the big sanding excercise where i hired a sander and took the boards down and really cleaned up all the railings etc.

Then happily i applied a Behr finish which was guaranteed to last 6 years at a min. I thought well if it lasts 3 giving them grace for 50% marketing lies i would be happy.

Well did not last one season and in this case i had made a point that i was gonna fight them tooth and nails if it did not endure a couple of seasons.

So i called and got told i had applied the coating wrong but they would warranty it and see me write and proceeded to give me a warranty number request my deck size and advised me on what to do to remedy it.

They undertook to pay for all the materials to get me back to having a properly finished deck. (No consequential losses like labor, but i did not mind because it had been mine.)

Well i never got round to executing on the warranty last year so after another season of weathering this year i first called them up figuring perhaps they might have changed their tune but no they said just send us the receipts and go ahead.

I purchased the ingredients they specified and sent in the receipt and waited till the cheque arrived before deciding on proceeding to use the product which has delayed the project but call me suspicious.:D

Well youngest son and i got stuck in yesterday and started to use the stripper and at the end of the day i was amazed.

So i thought i would be fair to Behr and mention a product of theirs that is unbelievable in its operation. Personally its again a product that is probably not sexy to market and is so poorly labeled and understood.

Had i known of this product and its functionality and results i would have used it instead of sanding in prior years.

The product i used is called Behr Premium stain and finish stripper.

This stuff is magical. Of course the corporate lawyers have reviewd the marketing stuff so its left with such poor info in my view and loaded with warnings enough to want you to consider putting it on in a bio hazard suite but then its wash up with soap and water and biodegradeable.

So we used a plastic bristle brush those yellow ones that go on the end of a broom handle and i had younger son pour the liquid on the deck.

For a 25 x 13 deck Behr had prescribed 4 bottles of this stuff to strip the deck.

We learnt a few things along the way that would have made the 4 bottles go much further and have less waist which is worth sharing for anyone with this task in mind that wishes to try this product.

I took a plastic peanut butter bottle and drilled a few large holes in the top but only on one half. Holes about 1/2 inch.

We then used it like a salt cellar and filled it and poured the fluid which is quiet thick something like a thick soup out on the boards.

As one jar was emptied on an area i went ahead and scrubbed it in to the boards and we moved through the deck quiet quickly.

One thing they do say is to not allow the stuff to dry so we kept the hose handy and sprinkled it gently with a mist of water just to keep the surface wet but not washing the stripper off.

As i scrubbed i could see the stuff removing the old deck stain. Then when we were finished i took the power washer a gas high pressure unit and with a moderate fan and lower than max pressure went about washing the stuff off. Youngest son got involved and used the yard broom and hose to give the surface a further rinsing after i was done with an area.

Well i would like to bring the entire home depot paint department staff out to see my deck because if they knew of the product they would have much happier customers. I have new cedar back just like it was when it went down.

Yup stripped it clean as a whistle but whats more it even cut the fuzz off where the deck had not stain and only old grey cedar wood was left. Normally in past years when you use the pressure washer on an area like that the fuzz left behind when the soft wood is removed is auwful if you not careful about the pressure. (BTDT part of my NA initiation).

Its a pity we dont factor in the cost of this kind of preparation before we stain. Hiring a sander and sanding was way more cost and effort.

This is not the end but the beginning of the end. We now have a deck prep product from Behr that has to go on top of this and be washed off before applying the stain properly with a foam type deck brush.

I will add to this post as we progress.

Never thought about getting a picture but will try today before we go further.

Here is the stain i am had used and am re applying. In areas where i put it on properly according to Behr it has done very well considering its into its 3 season. The warranty is 6 years on decks and 8 years on fences and siding.

Hope this helps someone that is looking to finish their deck and do it properly so that you dont have to do it again for a good few years.:thumb:
 
Very interesting Rob. People with log cabins might find this useful information also. I used to have an acid treatment for my aluminum rims, had to make sure the rinsed solution was deleted with gallons of water otherwise was toxic to animals drinking out of the puddle. Any negative effects on your lawn or surrounding area?
 
Well John they advise to wet the surrounding ground before application and the product is rated as bio degradeable.

Well after today you can call me real redneck. Burnt like crazy.

Just an update on this stuff. Dont dilute it one bit. The frugal englishman in me had me put a little watee in each empty jug. then pour the final rounded up watwred down leftovers into a new jug. Suffice to say it did not work the same. Now i need to pick up an extra jug to finish off the little bits.

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So the deck is still not stained yet. Been waiting for approriate weather and busy with other projects.

Well in my previous thread i posted about the stripper from Behr.

Well after applyingthat stuff there was one other product they insisted i use to treat the wood before applying the stain. So we did that yesterday and i thought it worth sharing with you.

Sorry no pics way to hot and busy to think of it. The results is what made me think to post it.

The product was Deck Prep from Behr. It contains 10 thru 30 % of Oxalic acid and some other proprietary ingredients. But wow it brought the cedar back to new.

In cedars case you get kinda rust stain run in the vertical position depending on the wood. This removes it along with any other mildew or marks.

Personally i think their marketing sucks. They have two great products here that if marketed intelligently are totally worth the cost and effort but they do a poor job of englightening the public.

This afternoon i hope to get to finally stain it.

Oh this Deck Prep stuff dilutes from one container of approx a gallon to 5 gallons and is applied with a spray unit like you would use in a garden to apply pesticide etc.

You wet the deck then apply and keep the deck wet while it works then wash off with water. We used a power washer with very low pressure.

It also removes mill glaze and did wonders on the pressure treated lattice that i put on the skirt.

If you have any pine you want to bring back to life this stuff would do wonders.

After thought was i wished i kept some for my shop to try out as a kind of bleach for maple if you want it clearer.

So far i am totally delighted that i followed up with Behr on my guarantee and used all the products they recommended and paid for by the way as part of the warranty on the first batch.:thumb:
 
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