Ques about a deck job, offer to partner for learning.

[PLD 14]

I measured a deck today for a a bid on wash and stain. It all appears to be unsealed PT pine, perhaps even just southern yellow pine The wood under the mat indicates that it may have been "sealed" with thompsons or similar. Customer indicates that the spot beads water but she is the first owner and swears no treatment has been ever been applied. Perhaps factory thompsons. In any case, nothing remains now but dead, dry, grey surface. IMHO, no strip needed just wash off the grey and stain.

The customer seeks to eliminate the roughness and splinters, make the deck pretty, and prevent it from being in this condition again. There is some cracking and checking, but IMHO it is in good condition considering. If it was mine, this would be a simple wash and stain. But, the customer wants the deck safe (i.e. splinter free) for a toddler in bare feet.

I got this one second hand. The customer had previously paid someone to sand the entire deck. They previous freelancer bid $300 and after 2 days, three palm sanders, and a ton of sweat later, they just disappeared. The rails are yellow again (not bad work), the pickets are grey'ish (half-way sanded), and the floor is about 15-20% yellow again in patches.

All that said, how do I approach this one? Is a wall-to-wall sand warranted or overkill? If warranted, how do I best perform that? With a floor sander? Is that do-able for a first timer without serious damage? And how do I bid the sanding work?

Finally, is there anyone with experience near me (Fayetteville, Ga) that wants partner on this deal so I can learn? I'll provide the labor and materials, you provide the expertise and training. Or we can work something out. All I really want is to cover my overhead and leave behind a happy customer who thinks I'm the expert I portrayed myself to be.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

1. rewash w/ percarb, then neutralize

2. let dry

3. sand. Suggest a belt sander on the floor, you can use a hand held sander on the rail caps (sand horizontals). try defelting pads on the verticals, if they are not as bad.(got any pics you can post?).

4. seal it or explain the condition is temporary and it will worsen again. If it is grey she likes, there are manufacturers that make a grey sealer/stain. Check Cabot and Sikkens, and I think Wolman and Sherwin Williams have one as well. No Behr.

Beth :coffee:

[PressurePros 249]

I did some research on this last year after a similar request from a customer. After tallying in rental, learning curve and potential damage from improper use of a belt sander, I subbed it out. Call a floor refinisher. Do all the prep yourself (countersinking nails etc) and get an estimate to just have a guy come out and make a few passes with progressively finer paper. I wouldn't go higher than 100 grit and if the customer is satisfied with the floor feel at 80 grit, I would stop there.

If you decide to do it yourself, take a good look at the decking. Run a 4 foot level, cross grain, to check for high and low spots. If you have a very uneven surface or minor cupping you are going to have make the first cut with a coarse paper, maybe a 40 or even 20 grit. The problem is, with a coarse paper there isn't much margin for a learning curve. Too long in one spot and you just made the job more difficult. If you cut too much material from the floor, you are gonna create a a high edge where the floorboards progress under the rail system. (Its hard getting under a rail with a handheld random orbital sander, so leveling that high edge would be a treat all it's own) You can see why I decided to let a more seasoned pro handle this aspect of the job.

After the sanding, I let it sit for two weeks before I re-washed it with the percarb like Beth said. I don't know if this "aging" was neccessary but this deck was six month old construction and I wanted to let the freshly exposed wood acclimate to the elements. It came out beautifully. I have the pics of the finished deck on my drive somewhere. I'll post them when I find them.

[PressurePros 249]

Here we go

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Oooooooh Ahhhhhhhh! Beautiful!

Beth :dancing:

[CCPC 26]

some of those decks you'll have up north look like furniture you would find in a persons home. You never see decks built and maintained that well around here.

[PLD 14]

some of those decks you'll have up north look like furniture you would find in a persons home. You never see decks built and maintained that well around here.

Yep. 1mm+ homes with grey nasty decks. Home center stain is a "nice deck". professional work is very few and far between. I can honestly say I have never seen a deck like that one in person. Not even at the exclusive gated golf club community here.

[CLASSICPW 14]

I would think that the nicer decks would be in a more temperate climate. Around ere it gets up to 100 in the summer and down to the 20's and 30's in the winter which reaks havoc on wood. Especially people who douse their decks with salt when it snows.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Especially people who douse their decks with salt when it snows.

OUCH! :lgbugeyes

Beth