Deck advice

kelLOGg

Bob
Senior User
I always thought I would replace the aging treated deck boards with eastern red cedar but I could not get enough decent red cedar logs to mill the quantity needed. As time passed I had to address rotting issues so I removed the bad boards and replaced them with treated pine from TarHeel Woodtreating with the intent of using a deck paint to make the color uniform. All my boards (old and new) are screwed down with Torx screws and any paint would fill the screw heads and the boards would be very difficult to remove should they ever need it and I don't like making something that is so difficult to repair.

I need advice on options on how to make it uniform starting with 1) replace the rest of the old boards and stain, to 2) paint anyway. What would you do?

It's too bad I couldn't get cedar; sort of like the cobbler's children have no shoes.
 

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ScottM

Scott
Staff member
Corporate Member
My deck is 10 years old and in that time I have replaced probably close to half the boards. It was built with what was supposed to be top quality wood. I power wash and restain every few years. I have grown to accept the fact. My neighbor has use a paint like material called "deck over" with great success but he did it when the deck was only a couple years old.
 

Brian Patterson

New User
Bstrom
I used a plastic fastener underneath the treated pine deck boards and with no perforations to speed the rotting process, all my boards are in solid shape after almost ten years in the weather. Haven’t retreated at all yet. Also put a piece of tar paper on top of the floor joist beforehand which seems to have helped too.
 

kelLOGg

Bob
Senior User
Jeff,
I know that's best in the long run but it's a lot of work. It took me 4 to 5 mornings to replace what you see in the pic (about 1/5 of the deck) because some the Phillips head screws broke off adding greatly to the time to remove a board. I did not want to pry it up for fear of damaging the joist beneath. The prospects of removing the rest is daunting but I am staring to come to terms with it. We will look into Sikkens and see what colors are available.
 

Martin Roper

Martin
Senior User
Pressure wash the deck and see what color the old boards really are. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised what's under that gray.

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Of course, the old boards are still going to be darker than the brand new ones.

Also pressure wash one of the bad boards you removed to use as a test board. Take a cutoff of new board and experiment with those two boards with a couple small cans of similar stain, one slightly darker than the other. They won't be identical, but after a few months in the weather they should start to blend in.
 
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ScottM

Scott
Staff member
Corporate Member
Jeff,
I know that's best in the long run but it's a lot of work. It took me 4 to 5 mornings to replace what you see in the pic (about 1/5 of the deck) because some the Phillips head screws broke off adding greatly to the time to remove a board. I did not want to pry it up for fear of damaging the joist beneath. The prospects of removing the rest is daunting but I am staring to come to terms with it. We will look into Sikkens and see what colors are available.
When you replace your boards use Torx head screws and not Phillips head. You want T-25 heads. Also be careful how deep you sink them. Just barely below the surface is good enough.
 

redknife

Chris
Corporate Member
I have found painting deck boards to be a maintenance headache. I agree to pressure wash, then with time it will look the same.
 

junquecol

Bruce
Senior User
FYI, the local Habitat Restores have All in One Wood Prep, 2.5 gallons (premixed) for $3.00. It's what you need to clean deck with. Skip the tar paper, and get the right stuff for the job. Either the stuff that is used in window openings, or Weather Watch, also sold as Weather Guard.
 

kelLOGg

Bob
Senior User
I doubt I will pressure wash; we did that 6 years ago and I think now they are beyond benefiting from that. Glad to hear from Redknife that painting is a maintenance headache - I certainly assumed the same.
 

Dreuxgrad

Ed
Senior User
I have seen the boards flipped over, but with your removal issues, maybe getting an aging chemical might help even out the appearance after PW.
 

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