Deck Questions! Weathered, old deck needs restoration. I need advice

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

I have a 20 year old deck that needs some help. The deck gets snow and lots of sun as it's south-facing and it's an uncovered deck.

The photo above is from the listing that shows what the deck used to look like when I first moved in. I have a suspicion that they used a solid stain from Behr. I found it rather garish so I'm happy the old stain/paint is actually almost completely peeled off now.

The Plan:

1. Clean, pressure-wash, strip deck according to pro instructions.

2. Replace boards that have split all the way through. Maybe 5 or so boards.

3. Stain the decking with a grayish stain (something that protects, but fades more naturally since I like the weathered silver look). I'm playing with the idea of painting/staining the railings white as I like the two-tone look. Thoughts and advice on this is appreciated.

Questions:

1. Can anyone tell what type of wood my decking is made of?

2. What brand and type of stain is best? Semi-transparent or solid? I don't like the look of solid stains, but maybe my deck is too old to do semi-transparent?

3. Can I wood-fill smaller cracks and splits instead of replacing?

4. Do I need to prep my railing differently than other surfaces?

5. If I replace some boards, any tips for trying to blend the old and new boards?

Thanks!

Featured Answer

PRO

StarCraft Custom Builders

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

We use Diamond Vogel opaque deck stains with good results. Needs to be renewed about every4-5 years. As bad as that wood is, however, I would not expect too much.

Were it my deck I would set all the nails, rent a floor sander and try to get down to good wood before staining.

To answer your questions:

1. Can anyone tell what type of wood my decking is made of?

Treated pine

3. Can I wood-fill smaller cracks and splits instead of replacing?

No. Wood filler is not for unstable environments like a wood deck.

4. Do I need to prep my railing differently than other surfaces?

Only the top of the rail should be weather-worn. Sand it down before staining.

5. If I replace some boards, any tips for trying to blend the old and new boards?

Blending is not really possible. The new wood is full of treatment solution and will take stain differently than old wood. The usual recommendation is to let new wood sit for a minimum of six weeks before staining.

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Comments (8)

Seabornman
5 years ago
Your deck boards are getting near the end of their life with the splitting. If there's no real rot, if it was mine I'd probably try to get it to last a few more years. A good power wash and a solid color stain would likely do the trick. I've heard good things about the Rust-Oleum Restore products that fill the splits if you want to do better.
Ivy Lou thanked Seabornman
Ivy Lou
Original Author
5 years ago
Anyone have brand recommendations for stain that don't peel terribly? I have looked into the thick deck restore paints, such as Rust-Oleum Restore, and dislike the look, which is why I would just replace boards with splits. I think I can get another 5 years out of my deck.
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Ivy Lou
Original Author
5 years ago
I pulled one of the split deck boards up and revealed a joist that was rotted and just crumbled when touched. My deck structure is probably more dire than I had previously thought. However, a complete replacement is just not in the cards at this time. Any advice for trying to get my deck safe and usable with just a couple hundred dollars rather than dropping $20k+ on replacing the deck?
Seabornman
5 years ago
Is it accessible under the deck? You could do an ice pick test and sister some good treated lumber next to any rot. Usually the decay starts where wood touches other wood. So if the top 3/4" of a joist is punky, a 2x4 could be sistered up to the joist and attached with a bunch of deck screws. If a joist is halfway gone, you're in for more major repairs.
Ivy Lou thanked Seabornman
Ivy Lou
Original Author
5 years ago
I spoke with a few pros who said that because my deck is 20 years old, it was made with lumber that wasn't treated and so repair is not advised nor will the workers be insured to work with that old of a deck.
Seabornman
5 years ago
There was treated lumber 20 years ago. If it wasn't treated it would have rotted years ago.
Ivy Lou
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I think the pros who said that meant that it was unlikely that the wood was treated because of how quickly my joists rotted. There have been signs of rot since before I purchased my home in 2014. I just didn't know the rot on the joists was that bad until I pulled a deck board up recently.

Also, they said their insurance wouldn't cover them working on a deck older than 10 years anyway. I know there are higher standards for deck structures now. Most of my neighbors have all already gotten their decks replaced.