Elyse

How would you suggest I sand this huge deck? I'd like to save $ and try to do it myself, but I'm not sure what to use to do the job.

After pressure washing my Pau Lope (IPE) deck 2 years ago to clean off some mildew, I ended up with what I guess are called 'lap' marks because I was new at pressure washing and didn't use an even sweeping motion across the deck. How would I restore it to it's original uniform finish? Should I try pressure washing it again? Sand it? (It's too big to sand!!) I've always used Penofin to keep the nice dark color of the wood, but right now I just want to get rid of all those unsightly marks and have a uniform deck surface. The deck is on the north side of the house, and I tend to get mildew build-up every year on the section closest to the house. How does one prevent mildew? If I use bleach to get rid of the mildew, it takes the color out of the finish. HELP!!!

2 years ago I pressure washed my ipe deck to get rid of tons of mildew that had accumulated (deck is on the north side of the house). While the mildew came off, so did the finish on the deck in some spots, as I didn't pressure wash evenly across the whole deck surface. How do I restore a uniform finish to my deck? Should I try pressure washing again? Please don't tell me I need to sand it, as the deck is about 600 sq ft. It's a beautiful deck, but I feel like I ruined it and will never have my old deck back. I had always used Penofin on the deck to keep it looking dark so it wouldn't grey. I can't stand looking at it like this. Please help!!!