Every modern stain option is just a plastic coating which will require sanding to re-coat after a few years. Try using a linseed oil paint stain which requires no sanding to re-coat, just cleaning. If you're replacing the nails with screws, flip the boards over, the bottom of the deck boards will be pristine.
I literally just followed every single step and I really wanna tell you how much I appreciate this video. You saved me thousands of dollars and I feel really proud that I was able to accomplish this myself in a week for only $150.
I'd be curious to know how many belts of 24 grit paper you went through and what the total square footage? Refinishing my front deck is first up on my priority list this spring. Great job as always.
first you are using a floor sander and in the wrong direction, that sander is for inside flat wooden floors and you are going against the grain, you should be using a orbital large deck sander, (this sander vibrates not circular motion) ex. 14x28 with 1 inch pad going with the grain, humans dont do your deck this way, 28 years of deck restoration exp here.
Stripper and conditioner will always give best results. The reason the pressure washer left marks was because you need to do full passes feathering out, cant just stop back and fourth at high pressure. Looks good for a DIY job. Ive been restoring exterior wood for 20 years. 👍
Perpendicular with grain is a horrible approach to follow for sanding. Take more passes with the grain to get an even sand. It will also make the deck more flat with minimal raises. It will also give an even surface for the stain or paint to coat the wood.
Interesting way to get old finish off a deck, and as long as the boards are structurally sound it should be several years before you need to do anything else with it. Speaking of which...any thoughts on whether you might (at some point) replace those deck boards with the same stuff you used for the floating tree house (or whatever you call it) at your commercial shop? Kinda curious though, about the way you put down some stain, then walked on it to apply more. Doesn't that leave footprints in the stain, or does that stuff soak in so fast you don't have any problems walking on it while it's still wet?
That’s a great idea April! Using a floor sander is quick and easy. Great timing, too, I need to do 2 porches and a deck. I had never thought of using a sander. Thanks for sharing another great video.
Wow that was an awesome idea 👍. Unorthodox? Hey it worked. They could do another pass with the sander with same grit just quicker run or finer grit. All preference.
April, my career was sanding and finishing floors. I have done a lot of decking also. 1, you should never go straight across the grain, the paper will gouge out air the soft areas, instead go at approximately a 45 from 2 directions to flatten the surface, then use a finer grit to go with the grain. I can’t imagine how bad the deck looks close up, after all you would not sand any finished wood surface across the grain and expect it to look good. I do follow you on your channel and and the tv show, really like most all of your videos but this is a disappointing combinations of one error after another Sorry for being honest
Actually I did show closely how it looked afterwards and I think it looks great. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion though and that's ok. Thanks for watching.
We use these sanders for indoor polished floors in Australia. I agree that sanding across the grain is a lot mor prone to gouge the wood and leave the floor wavy - perhaps much more noticeable with a glossy finish.
My wife and I love your videos and used so many things we learned about or saw on your channel when remodeling our old house. The results were amazing. Thank you for the awesome content!
Stain doesn't last in hot climate sun (Redding, CA). Paint has worked much better. It still lasts only so long and must be maintained and repainted periodically. And, I commend you on your clear, straightforward explantation of what you did, and why. You jumped right into your work without the too-common selfie introduction.
Thank you for this video. This idea popped up in my head a few weeks ago, but the two people I've asked about it said it wouldn't work. This only made me want to do even more! Lol! Honestly, I don't understand why anyone would think this method wouldn't work 🤔! What I want is a deck that is flat across all the boards. My wife and grandkids walk around bare footed, and having a deck that is actually flat would be nice. Our deck is about 8 years old and needs refinishing. Thankfully, the original owners used the "camo screw system" when they built the deck, so screw or nail heads won't be an issue. Your video is proof that this works! I'll be renting a sander soon! Thanks again!
This video is the reason why you hire a professional. I would’ve only charged $2000. Don’t think you can paint anything yourself, especially decks. You all have no clue how to do this kind of work.
I am looking to do a strip, stain, and seal on my very large back deck, so I have been looking for a way to do it without killing myself. I was curious how that exact sander would work on an outside deck. Thanks for showing me. I now have a lot more confidence to go ahead and push through to do it myself. Your issues are the same that I have with railing, nails, etc. Perfect video.
We stained our front 8 x 8 deck a dark brown to match the trim on our house. However, we used the redwood stain on our 12 x 16 rear deck, mainly because it was only $13 a gallon. It has been 6 years, and it's finally peeling up to where it needs to be redone. Going to try to find a rental place that has a sander. Our Home Depot doesn't rent them here.
It's my experience that if you tell the rental company that you're sanding a deck, they won't give you the sander. The screws do too much damage to sanders.
You didn’t pay attention to what she was saying. She did it with the grain first and then tried it the other way, and liked it better and explained why.
Great vid April. I did the same thing about 20 years ago on a deck that had aged several years. Using a large 18” floor disk sander with 60 grit, then 120 grit, got it level as a pool table. What made it easy was the fact that I used a under deck fastening system. All of the typical cuppiness you get with PT pine boards was gone.
I want to do the same thing to my deck, but don't wanna break my back on it. And after seeing your workout....maybe I'll wait another year. Lol Nice work!
I wanted to do this exact same thing on my huge deck but didn't want to risk breaking a rented belt sander with a stray nail so I did it all by hand with a belt sander. Yea, it was agonizing. And now seeing your success, I'd do it this way in the future. Looks great!
You did a beautiful fence in your backyard 6 years ago. Which color stain was it. The video you did a privacy fence in a brownish stain in your backyard. Please answer
when using semi transparent stain you should apply the stain all the way down a few boards at a time to keep a wet edge and avoid lap marks vs. a big chunk of all the boards at once.
This is exactly what I will be doing. I have some bad 2x6 boards to replace as well. I’m probably looking into a different railing system, like you. Great info on the sanding process. I have a brick red color and I want to stain it. Did they offer the sandpaper as well? How many did you go thru? What length screws did you use for your boards?
I resurfaced a 300 squre foot cedar deck several years back and instead of the rotary floor sander I used a square pad floor sander. The pads were 16 inches square and the sander works exactly like a small woodworking pad sander. Because the sanding pad is large enough to span several 2X6 deck boards the chances of gouging the soft cedar was reduced. Like you I used a belt sander to clean up close to the house and aroung the attached bench seats.
🤗TO BE HONEST,APRIL,…I NOTICED THAT YOUR DECK DID NEED REFINISHING 😅 AND I HAVE USED SCREWS FOR MANY YEARS…for the reasons you mentioned and I have rented floor sanders when possible, FOR the same reasons you did but not always 😢 AND I used the same railings that you removed 😂, they were ALOT of work to re-stain them which is what I did and was recommended over paint 😁💚💚💚
Hi April. A huge fan of your videos. What you have is not a Sawsall. Sawsall (tm) is a Milwaukee Tools trade name , possibly the first on the market, very popular and high quality. You have a "reciprocating saw." I once worked with DeWalt Marketing and enjoyed "correcting" those who misspoke! 😊 Old marketing mantra, "There is a distinct advantage to being first on the market."
Gary Wilt The same adage could be applied to the word Jeep. Just because it's four wheel drive Does Not make it a Jeep. The Roxor people think what they have is a 'Jeep" it's not.
I worked with a marketing firm contracted to Chrysler. We campaigned Jeep and Ram trucks. Few knew Jeep is owned by Fiat Chrysler. Also few knew RAM Trucks was owned by Dodge (Chrysler). We ;campaigned Dodge Charger Pursuit vehicles to state patrol and Sheriff's officers. Many identified Charger as a Dodge product. Perception often interesting.
So mad!! My “big box store” only had the flat floor sander, but a drum would have been WAY better! Also… I feel like ANY kind of stain ALWAYS PEELS. So this time, we just used tung oil. We think it looks great, but curious if anyone knows why it would be a bad idea? Have to do our back deck next spring!
Great job, April! I didn’t see what kind of stain you used in the description or the video itself? I did see the link you provided to Fix This Build That’s channel but he was using something different. The product you were using looked more oil based? We’ve redone our deck twice now with super deck waterborne exterior deck stain and it peels after about a year! Looking for a better alternative! Thx for your content.
I have a 30 yr old, white cedar deck. It shows a lot of 'uneven' coloring from all the stains that I have used plus what nature has done to it. I have used a multitude of staining & stripping products, but every year I have to repeat the process again. I live in Canada so we experience a wide range of temps from -30 F to +100. Can you suggest a semi-transparent stain that will still show the beauty of the white cedar and maybe last more than a year... Dan
Interesting choices. I don't think I've ever seen that form of Sander. This has nothing to do with your actual content - the thumbnail text blurs under my bad vision into "how to redneck". I don't know why a sander would be involved. Not sure if I should worry about myself or just see an eye doctor. 🤔
Awesome April and just in time! I'm in the process of staining my Deck and your video is just what I needed🤙🏾💯. The view from your deck is priceless. A cup of coffee in the morning and that view❤
i did the same thing to my deck - once - and it worked well. I sanded across like you did, but then diagonally and then with the grain. I wouldn't do this more than once, m a y b e twice to the deck but watch the thickness of the boards! The pt pine decking is softer than, say, red oak flooring (and also not supported by a sub-floor!), so more wood is being removed by that drum sander. So my 1" deck boards were thinned out to about 7/8 by the time I was finished sanding. Do that again in a few years and you're going to have a springy deck that's not as strong as it was before.
I sent what I think is even a little crazier, I removed all nails, pulled the boards and grab them thru my Dewalt 735 with helical head… as long as I didn’t remove too much, it was ok. Nice and smooth too.
Which cedar brown stain did you use? I used Sherwin Williams Cedar Bark semi-transparent stain, and it turned out a little more red/orange than I wanted.
Super-helpful as always. One thing: I've seen manufacturers and pros recommend to do only one coat (not multiple) on decks that have been sanded (or new wood).
This is not a good idea for a deck, because the sander does not take out the paint (stain) on the edges pf the boards. Additionally, if there is unevenness between boards, you cannot take out the paint in the lower boards edge where it meets the other boards. So the only way is to sand quite a few millimeters from the higher boards. That is a ton of work and the sander will also grind the top of the nails or screws
But April, if you're tearing out the railing, may as well tear off the floor and go with synthetic. I think I used Trex or equiv. then no screws visible and finish lasts f o r e v e r! Just hose it off once in a while.
Good morning, April! The porch looks GREAT! I watched my neighbor do this to his deck about two years ago (thinking he was nuts) and it came out looking beautiful. I love that you have two levels to your porch. Makes me want to fulfill one more (in my dreams) project and build a deck over my deck. It would be nice to walk out of our bedroom and take in the fresh air in the morning. Thanks for sharing another great video with an awesome idea that most wouldn't dream of doing. Keep 'em coming! God bless.
I love how that puppy is trying to understand why you are trying to get his/her favorite smell off the desk. Samone is trying to get a few more sniffs before it is all gone
Thank you so much for sharing this. I am currently working on a deck that I have used 3 different kinds of stripper on and nothing has taken it off. I need to rent one of these sanders.
I have to say this is pretty informative. I did use a pressure washer on my deck when I first stained it and it worked very well. I had concerns about destroying the boards but it was fine. The problem I have now is the pressure washer doesn't work anymore. So I'm looking to change how I do it. I think I'm going to try the route that you went and see how it turns out.
April, thoughts on the deck board direction? I’ve heard a lot that the boards should be vertical fr the house to take the water out and avoid cupping. Your friends deck was correct from what I’ve been told.
I have done it this way as well. They also rent edgers so you can get up close to the walls and posts. Always do your first pass perpendicular and your second pass with the grain and go up in grit for a smoother finish. you can even do your first pass on a 45 perpendicular if the wood is really cupped. doing 3 passes always the last with the grain.
Can you please explain why you do perpendicular the first pass? I was under the impression that you should always sand with the grain. First time sanding a deck and scared to death to get started! TY
@@pattyburrell505 Because it is so uneven and cupping. Decks that are in the sun will cup. Just think of it as sanding wood. starting and stopping is the trickiest part. When you do edges you always have to go sideways. Your finishing pass you want to go with the grain as much as possible. Ig you make divots buy your going to want to go over them in an ex pattern and then finish in the direction with the grain. Remember your just sanding wood. Make sure all the nails and screws are counter sunk.
What is funny, that I didn't see anything on YT or did a research, but when I was looking at the deck I have to repaint this year an idea to use floor sander just poped in my head. I was like: hey.... my hands will die if I use palm sander and it will take days to do all the work. I can go to Home Depot, rend a floor sander for 45$ for 4 hours and in less than 1h the deck is sanded. After use palm sander to finish tiny spots where floor sander can't reach... And boom... next day I see your video on YT :D
That's great! Yes, it's a game changer to be sure. I can imagine how many start with a palm sander and give up because of the enormity of the job. Thanks for sharing and for watching.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for doing this video. I’ve been wanting and considered sanding my old, uneven, nail-popping deck for a few years but after endless research and finding no videos or mentions of it figured there must be a reason and it wasn’t practical. Now if finally have the answer and the instructions how to do it. Can’t wait to get my project started and my deck looking brand new!
Thanks so much for this video. I compared it to several other pressure washing, chemical treatment videos, and felt that this looked way faster and easier. I rented the same floor sander you used and it took me just a few hours to do my deck (about 350 square feet). I appreciated not using chemicals or a bunch of water and the option to stain right away. I would definitely do this again the next time! Highly recommend.
April Wilkerson- AKA "there is nothing I can't do and it's all easy" Yea, so listen, come on down to Florida and take care of my deck so I can review your skills and make sure you're not just making stuff up. Also, because I'm too much of a wuss.
I had to laugh. We have a hose going though our deck as well. There isn't any water where I live in Spring Branch, so power washing is out. This video will help us get our deck back in shape.
I would say that's thinking outside the box. Something I've been accused of many times in my life. But hey if it gets the job done does it really matter how you got there.?
@@AprilWilkerson I did . If you get time to yourself please have a flick at my son & I Halloween special. A bit of old B movies thrown in for good measure 😂😂😂
Every modern stain option is just a plastic coating which will require sanding to re-coat after a few years. Try using a linseed oil paint stain which requires no sanding to re-coat, just cleaning. If you're replacing the nails with screws, flip the boards over, the bottom of the deck boards will be pristine.
Tell more
Will I need to power wash first?
I sanded my deck 3 years ago and it’s time to paint it again.
I literally just followed every single step and I really wanna tell you how much I appreciate this video. You saved me thousands of dollars and I feel really proud that I was able to accomplish this myself in a week for only $150.
Nice Job Justine 7143
I'd be curious to know how many belts of 24 grit paper you went through and what the total square footage? Refinishing my front deck is first up on my priority list this spring. Great job as always.
first you are using a floor sander and in the wrong direction, that sander is for inside flat wooden floors and you are going against the grain, you should be using a orbital large deck sander, (this sander vibrates not circular motion) ex. 14x28 with 1 inch pad going with the grain, humans dont do your deck this way, 28 years of deck restoration exp here.
The spots that didn't sand off on the original board made a darker spot when you sanded makes a good contrast. 👍 great job April
Stripper and conditioner will always give best results. The reason the pressure washer left marks was because you need to do full passes feathering out, cant just stop back and fourth at high pressure. Looks good for a DIY job. Ive been restoring exterior wood for 20 years. 👍
What products do you reccomend?
pleaaase don't go against the grain.
Very nice job April. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work. Keep making. God bless.
Thank you so much!
I’m so glad you replaced the nails sticking up with screws. It takes longer but well worth the time. Over all a great job April! 😃👏
Yes it was time consuming to be sure but well worth it. Thanks for watching.
Perpendicular with grain is a horrible approach to follow for sanding. Take more passes with the grain to get an even sand. It will also make the deck more flat with minimal raises. It will also give an even surface for the stain or paint to coat the wood.
Interesting way to get old finish off a deck, and as long as the boards are structurally sound it should be several years before you need to do anything else with it. Speaking of which...any thoughts on whether you might (at some point) replace those deck boards with the same stuff you used for the floating tree house (or whatever you call it) at your commercial shop? Kinda curious though, about the way you put down some stain, then walked on it to apply more. Doesn't that leave footprints in the stain, or does that stuff soak in so fast you don't have any problems walking on it while it's still wet?
That’s a great idea April! Using a floor sander is quick and easy. Great timing, too, I need to do 2 porches and a deck. I had never thought of using a sander. Thanks for sharing another great video.
Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.
She did an excellent job.I'm just curious as to why she didn't sand with the grain and instead went across the grain?
she explains why in the video
Wow that was an awesome idea 👍.
Unorthodox? Hey it worked.
They could do another pass with the sander with same grit just quicker run or finer grit. All preference.
April, my career was sanding and finishing floors. I have done a lot of decking also. 1, you should never go straight across the grain, the paper will gouge out air the soft areas, instead go at approximately a 45 from 2 directions to flatten the surface, then use a finer grit to go with the grain. I can’t imagine how bad the deck looks close up, after all you would not sand any finished wood surface across the grain and expect it to look good. I do follow you on your channel and and the tv show, really like most all of your videos but this is a disappointing combinations of one error after another Sorry for being honest
Actually I did show closely how it looked afterwards and I think it looks great. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion though and that's ok. Thanks for watching.
We use these sanders for indoor polished floors in Australia. I agree that sanding across the grain is a lot mor prone to gouge the wood and leave the floor wavy - perhaps much more noticeable with a glossy finish.
My wife and I love your videos and used so many things we learned about or saw on your channel when remodeling our old house. The results were amazing. Thank you for the awesome content!
Thanks! Glad you enjoy my channel. Thanks for watching.
Next time you will find better results by going at a 45 degree angle on the boards with the sander.
Stain doesn't last in hot climate sun (Redding, CA). Paint has worked much better. It still lasts only so long and must be maintained and repainted periodically. And, I commend you on your clear, straightforward explantation of what you did, and why. You jumped right into your work without the too-common selfie introduction.
Thank you for this video. This idea popped up in my head a few weeks ago, but the two people I've asked about it said it wouldn't work. This only made me want to do even more! Lol! Honestly, I don't understand why anyone would think this method wouldn't work 🤔! What I want is a deck that is flat across all the boards. My wife and grandkids walk around bare footed, and having a deck that is actually flat would be nice. Our deck is about 8 years old and needs refinishing. Thankfully, the original owners used the "camo screw system" when they built the deck, so screw or nail heads won't be an issue. Your video is proof that this works! I'll be renting a sander soon! Thanks again!
Awesome! Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.
This video is the reason why you hire a professional. I would’ve only charged $2000. Don’t think you can paint anything yourself, especially decks. You all have no clue how to do this kind of work.
I am looking to do a strip, stain, and seal on my very large back deck, so I have been looking for a way to do it without killing myself. I was curious how that exact sander would work on an outside deck. Thanks for showing me. I now have a lot more confidence to go ahead and push through to do it myself. Your issues are the same that I have with railing, nails, etc. Perfect video.
Awesome! I'm glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.
Yes! Lots of people are using that rusty orange color, it is so weird. Love your new color choice!
Thank you!!
We stained our front 8 x 8 deck a dark brown to match the trim on our house. However, we used the redwood stain on our 12 x 16 rear deck, mainly because it was only $13 a gallon. It has been 6 years, and it's finally peeling up to where it needs to be redone. Going to try to find a rental place that has a sander. Our Home Depot doesn't rent them here.
It's my experience that if you tell the rental company that you're sanding a deck, they won't give you the sander. The screws do too much damage to sanders.
Same! Any advice on what to say at the rental place?
@@marcpanu I wouldn't rent it. It could do a lot of damage to the sander. I replaced the deck boards. 👍🏼
Nicely done April! 😃👍🏻👊🏻
you could have rented a deck sander, does a great job. I would also sand with the grain to minimize sanding lines.
You didn’t pay attention to what she was saying. She did it with the grain first and then tried it the other way, and liked it better and explained why.
Love the new color. Did you sand and stain the posts? Will you install a new railing?
Very nice looks like a easy process!!!
At 2:29 did you yell "THIS. IS. SPARTAAAAA!!!!" as you did that?
Great vid April. I did the same thing about 20 years ago on a deck that had aged several years. Using a large 18” floor disk sander with 60 grit, then 120 grit, got it level as a pool table. What made it easy was the fact that I used a under deck fastening system. All of the typical cuppiness you get with PT pine boards was gone.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing and for watching.
I want to do the same thing to my deck, but don't wanna break my back on it. And after seeing your workout....maybe I'll wait another year. Lol
Nice work!
😂
Q8- Log Deck Fence oil provides a much better. finish
The orange I call brownish red which is a normal color and think it looks nice. Still nice to learn how to sand a full deck😊
I wanted to do this exact same thing on my huge deck but didn't want to risk breaking a rented belt sander with a stray nail so I did it all by hand with a belt sander. Yea, it was agonizing. And now seeing your success, I'd do it this way in the future. Looks great!
Thanks! I'm loving how the end result looks. Thanks for watching.
Looks so good April, you folks did a great job putting new color back into your decks. Thanks for sharing with us. Fred.
Thanks for watching
You did a beautiful fence in your backyard 6 years ago. Which color stain was it. The video you did a privacy fence in a brownish stain in your backyard. Please answer
It was pre-stained when I bought it at a big box store. I don't remember the name of it as I didn't stain it. Thanks for watching.
when using semi transparent stain you should apply the stain all the way down a few boards at a time to keep a wet edge and avoid lap marks vs. a big chunk of all the boards at once.
Thats why don’t use paint or solid stains on decks
Nice job. Awesome video thanks for posting.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.
This is exactly what I will be doing. I have some bad 2x6 boards to replace as well. I’m probably looking into a different railing system, like you. Great info on the sanding process. I have a brick red color and I want to stain it. Did they offer the sandpaper as well? How many did you go thru? What length screws did you use for your boards?
same question...how many sheets?
I resurfaced a 300 squre foot cedar deck several years back and instead of the rotary floor sander I used a square pad floor sander. The pads were 16 inches square and the sander works exactly like a small woodworking pad sander. Because the sanding pad is large enough to span several 2X6 deck boards the chances of gouging the soft cedar was reduced. Like you I used a belt sander to clean up close to the house and aroung the attached bench seats.
That is all true. And it also takes 10x as long. Those square sanders are for the finishing on a floor after using the belt sander.
🤗TO BE HONEST,APRIL,…I NOTICED THAT YOUR DECK DID NEED REFINISHING 😅
AND I HAVE USED SCREWS FOR MANY YEARS…for the reasons you mentioned and I have rented floor sanders when possible, FOR the same reasons you did but not always 😢 AND I used the same railings that you removed 😂, they were ALOT of work to re-stain them which is what I did and was recommended over paint 😁💚💚💚
Loved the doggy moment!
😂 APRIL I have been accused of being UNORTHODOX,…ALL MY LIFE, N. A.P. 🤗💚💚💚
Hi April. A huge fan of your videos. What you have is not a Sawsall. Sawsall (tm) is a Milwaukee Tools trade name , possibly the first on the market, very popular and high quality. You have a "reciprocating saw." I once worked with DeWalt Marketing and enjoyed "correcting" those who misspoke! 😊 Old marketing mantra, "There is a distinct advantage to being first on the market."
Gary Wilt The same adage could be applied to the word Jeep. Just because it's four wheel drive Does Not make it a Jeep. The Roxor people think what they have is a 'Jeep" it's not.
I worked with a marketing firm contracted to Chrysler. We campaigned Jeep and Ram trucks. Few knew Jeep is owned by Fiat Chrysler. Also few knew RAM Trucks was owned by Dodge (Chrysler). We ;campaigned Dodge Charger Pursuit vehicles to state patrol and Sheriff's officers. Many identified Charger as a Dodge product. Perception often interesting.
So mad!! My “big box store” only had the flat floor sander, but a drum would have been WAY better!
Also… I feel like ANY kind of stain ALWAYS PEELS. So this time, we just used tung oil. We think it looks great, but curious if anyone knows why it would be a bad idea? Have to do our back deck next spring!
I literally did this yesterday.
Great job, April! I didn’t see what kind of stain you used in the description or the video itself? I did see the link you provided to Fix This Build That’s channel but he was using something different. The product you were using looked more oil based? We’ve redone our deck twice now with super deck waterborne exterior deck stain and it peels after about a year! Looking for a better alternative! Thx for your content.
I like this method thanks, also seems like a good way to get a feel for using a floor sander before having a go at a nice interior floor.
Yes, exactly! Thanks for watching.
I have a 30 yr old, white cedar deck. It shows a lot of 'uneven' coloring from all the stains that I have used plus what nature has done to it. I have used a multitude of staining & stripping products, but every year I have to repeat the process again. I live in Canada so we experience a wide range of temps from -30 F to +100. Can you suggest a semi-transparent stain that will still show the beauty of the white cedar and maybe last more than a year... Dan
Interesting choices. I don't think I've ever seen that form of Sander.
This has nothing to do with your actual content - the thumbnail text blurs under my bad vision into "how to redneck". I don't know why a sander would be involved. Not sure if I should worry about myself or just see an eye doctor. 🤔
Awesome April and just in time! I'm in the process of staining my Deck and your video is just what I needed🤙🏾💯. The view from your deck is priceless. A cup of coffee in the morning and that view❤
Great! Glad it was useful. Yes, the view is so relaxing. Thanks for watching.
i did the same thing to my deck - once - and it worked well. I sanded across like you did, but then diagonally and then with the grain. I wouldn't do this more than once, m a y b e twice to the deck but watch the thickness of the boards! The pt pine decking is softer than, say, red oak flooring (and also not supported by a sub-floor!), so more wood is being removed by that drum sander. So my 1" deck boards were thinned out to about 7/8 by the time I was finished sanding. Do that again in a few years and you're going to have a springy deck that's not as strong as it was before.
Awesome video April! Thanks again... 👍
Glad you liked it!!
I sent what I think is even a little crazier, I removed all nails, pulled the boards and grab them thru my Dewalt 735 with helical head… as long as I didn’t remove too much, it was ok. Nice and smooth too.
So cool... Great job April 👍
Glad you liked it!!
Which cedar brown stain did you use? I used Sherwin Williams Cedar Bark semi-transparent stain, and it turned out a little more red/orange than I wanted.
Is there a reason you didn't sand with the grain ??
She went over it in the video. It was not removing the old stain as well as sanding across the grain.
Looks great April! Can you provide the exact stain you used please? Color/brand
Run at a 45 or less angle to flatten and be more aggressive with removal. The following passes run with grain. Stop at 80 and screen and be done.
I used a pressure washer with no cleaning solution. You have to use the right nozzle and the right pressure. Never over 3200psi
Super-helpful as always. One thing: I've seen manufacturers and pros recommend to do only one coat (not multiple) on decks that have been sanded (or new wood).
But some like Benjamin Moore stain...you can apply a sealer
This is not a good idea for a deck, because the sander does not take out the paint (stain) on the edges pf the boards. Additionally, if there is unevenness between boards, you cannot take out the paint in the lower boards edge where it meets the other boards. So the only way is to sand quite a few millimeters from the higher boards. That is a ton of work and the sander will also grind the top of the nails or screws
But April, if you're tearing out the railing, may as well tear off the floor and go with synthetic. I think I used Trex or equiv. then no screws visible and finish lasts f o r e v e r! Just hose it off once in a while.
Good morning, April! The porch looks GREAT! I watched my neighbor do this to his deck about two years ago (thinking he was nuts) and it came out looking beautiful. I love that you have two levels to your porch. Makes me want to fulfill one more (in my dreams) project and build a deck over my deck. It would be nice to walk out of our bedroom and take in the fresh air in the morning. Thanks for sharing another great video with an awesome idea that most wouldn't dream of doing. Keep 'em coming! God bless.
8:21 April, dog, background scenery.... 🤍🤍🤍🤍
Nothing unorthodox about using a floor sander. It's the fastest and easiest way to strip a large area.
Well done!
Just a tip, what ever your do don't empty the bag full of sawdust into an open fire. My friend did that once and it burned like gun powder.
I love how that puppy is trying to understand why you are trying to get his/her favorite smell off the desk. Samone is trying to get a few more sniffs before it is all gone
Thank you so much for sharing this. I am currently working on a deck that I have used 3 different kinds of stripper on and nothing has taken it off. I need to rent one of these sanders.
Thinking I should sink those round headed galvanized nails down in. We will see this spring.
I have to say this is pretty informative. I did use a pressure washer on my deck when I first stained it and it worked very well. I had concerns about destroying the boards but it was fine. The problem I have now is the pressure washer doesn't work anymore. So I'm looking to change how I do it. I think I'm going to try the route that you went and see how it turns out.
Using a sander to prepare a wood surface for refinishing. You don’t get much more unorthodox than that!😮
NICE 👍
April, thoughts on the deck board direction? I’ve heard a lot that the boards should be vertical fr the house to take the water out and avoid cupping. Your friends deck was correct from what I’ve been told.
Hey April, what would you say the square feet of the surface you completed in an hour or two was?
I loved this one! I am getting ready to strip, and refinish our much smaller Backporch, and I think that I will try your method.
Well done, April!
Awesome, enjoy the process! Thanks for watching.
Good
Would just flipping the boards over be an option?
One thing about a floor sander is you can skip the gym later.
I would have fell off that thing 5 times! Looks great!
I have done it this way as well. They also rent edgers so you can get up close to the walls and posts. Always do your first pass perpendicular and your second pass with the grain and go up in grit for a smoother finish. you can even do your first pass on a 45 perpendicular if the wood is really cupped. doing 3 passes always the last with the grain.
Can you please explain why you do perpendicular the first pass? I was under the impression that you should always sand with the grain. First time sanding a deck and scared to death to get started! TY
@@pattyburrell505 Because it is so uneven and cupping. Decks that are in the sun will cup. Just think of it as sanding wood. starting and stopping is the trickiest part. When you do edges you always have to go sideways. Your finishing pass you want to go with the grain as much as possible. Ig you make divots buy your going to want to go over them in an ex pattern and then finish in the direction with the grain. Remember your just sanding wood. Make sure all the nails and screws are counter sunk.
@@drewcama2488 Thank you for the advice!
Would you recommend a drum sander (like you used) or a orbital deck and floor sander?
Great job 👍
funny how you brought your eye and hearing protection but didn't use it
Great idea April love the finished product!!!! Lucky pup!!!! 😂
Just use composite boards. Maintaining a large wood deck is hell.
I could have but wanted a real wooden deck. Like everything, yes it takes maintenance but that's ok. Thanks for watching.
@@AprilWilkerson
I think where you live also matters.
I may get 4 months of use from a wood deck. Then winter can destroy it all.
Great job on the deck April! Thanks for sharing the video with us!💖👍😎JP
What is funny, that I didn't see anything on YT or did a research, but when I was looking at the deck I have to repaint this year an idea to use floor sander just poped in my head. I was like: hey.... my hands will die if I use palm sander and it will take days to do all the work. I can go to Home Depot, rend a floor sander for 45$ for 4 hours and in less than 1h the deck is sanded. After use palm sander to finish tiny spots where floor sander can't reach...
And boom... next day I see your video on YT :D
That's great! Yes, it's a game changer to be sure. I can imagine how many start with a palm sander and give up because of the enormity of the job. Thanks for sharing and for watching.
Any clue why she wouldn't have sanded with the grain, at least after an initial pass?
I explained in the video it takes off much better going perpendicular rather than with the grain. Thanks for watching.
@@AprilWilkerson thanks for the reply. The results speak for themselves. I must have missed that comment.
I feel as if the blade in your sawzall is upside down?
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for doing this video. I’ve been wanting and considered sanding my old, uneven, nail-popping deck for a few years but after endless research and finding no videos or mentions of it figured there must be a reason and it wasn’t practical. Now if finally have the answer and the instructions how to do it. Can’t wait to get my project started and my deck looking brand new!
Awesome! I'm glad you found it useful. Enjoy the process. Thanks for watching.
Thanks so much for this video. I compared it to several other pressure washing, chemical treatment videos, and felt that this looked way faster and easier. I rented the same floor sander you used and it took me just a few hours to do my deck (about 350 square feet). I appreciated not using chemicals or a bunch of water and the option to stain right away. I would definitely do this again the next time! Highly recommend.
Awesome! Yes, it's a game changer to be sure! Thanks for Sharing and for watching.
how long dose it take you for entire process ?
April Wilkerson- AKA "there is nothing I can't do and it's all easy" Yea, so listen, come on down to Florida and take care of my deck so I can review your skills and make sure you're not just making stuff up. Also, because I'm too much of a wuss.
lovely job April and the deck is amazing and i love the videos every time and i always wanted to meet you in person
I had to laugh. We have a hose going though our deck as well. There isn't any water where I live in Spring Branch, so power washing is out. This video will help us get our deck back in shape.
Great! Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.
I would say that's thinking outside the box. Something I've been accused of many times in my life. But hey if it gets the job done does it really matter how you got there.?
Right? Whatever works the best for you. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the education on sanding the floor/deck
👏👏👏Thank you very much. Extremely straightforward and informative. Great work
Thank you! Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching.
As always great info and brilliantly executed
Glad you enjoyed it
@@AprilWilkerson I did . If you get time to yourself please have a flick at my son & I Halloween special. A bit of old B movies thrown in for good measure 😂😂😂