How to Refinish a Deck With Loose Wood Fibers

A wood deck with raised fibers should be sanded to create a smooth surface.

Over time, exposure to sunlight and moisture can cause the wood fibers on your deck to raise up. This phenomenon can make for a deck that splinters and is generally uncomfortable to walk upon. To refinish a deck with loose wood fibers, you must sand down the surface before you can apply stain.

Things You'll Need

• Disc sander
• 60-grit sandpaper
• Broom
• 120-grit sandpaper
• Hose
• Wood brightener
• Paintbrush, roller or sprayer
• Penetrating oil-based wood stain

Instructions

1. Sand the deck surface with a coarse grit sandpaper. A disc sander fitted with 60-grit paper will remove the raised wood grain and create an even surface on the deck top. Start in one corner of the deck and work along the length of each board. Make sure you've sanded enough of the wood fibers away to create the consistent deck surface you are after.

2. Sweep the deck with a broom, then sand the surface a second time with a finer grit sandpaper, such as 120 grit. As before, start in one corner and work your way along each board length. Examine the surface to make sure you have removed the scratches and grooves that may have resulted from the initial coarse sanding.

3. Sweep the deck more thoroughly to remove the sawdust created by the sanding process. Hose down the deck with water. Then mix and apply a solution of wood brightener to the wet deck surface. Let the wood brightener sit on the deck surface for 45 minutes, then rinse the deck thoroughly with water. Let it dry at least 24 hours before applying stain.

4. Apply a single coat of penetrating oil-based wood stain to the deck surface using a paintbrush, roller or sprayer. Start in a corner of the deck and work along the length of each board. Maintain a wet edge and feed the wood as much stain as it will absorb, but be careful not to overapply.

5. Wait 15 minutes, then go back over the deck with a dry paintbrush and pick up any excess stain that has not completely absorbed into the deck surface.

Tips & Warnings

• The protection from ultraviolet rays in stain comes from the pigments. As a general rule, the darker stain color you choose, the less often the deck will have to be refinished.

• Some builders recommend using a pressure washer to apply wood brightener and to wash the deck between sanding and staining. However, be really careful when using a pressure washer; don't get too close to the wood or use too much pressure. You may end up doing more harm than good.

References

• House Painting Info: Deck Sanding
• House Painting Info: Wood Deck Refinishing
• House Painting Info: Deck Power Washing