Weathered Deck Restoration

This deck had been coated with a solid, film-forming stain that had reached the end of its life. Large sheets of the red finish were peeling off the walking surface, bare grey wood was showing through in the traffic paths, and the railings and spindles were blotchy where the coating had thinned unevenly. Recoating over that surface would have failed within a season, so the only honest option was full removal.

Work started with a thorough pressure wash to clear dirt, mildew and everything already loose. From there the deck was chemically stripped in sections to break down the bonded film, then neutralised and rinsed. Stripping alone never lifts every trace of a solid stain out of open grain, end grain and fastener holes, so the whole deck was mechanically sanded afterwards — a drum sander and orbital floor sanders on the field boards, seven-inch orbital sanders and a bandfile belt sander on the edges, stair treads, railings and spindles, and grinders where the coating had built up heaviest.

Boards and hardware were checked as the surface came clean, and the deck was allowed to dry and moisture-tested before any finish went on. The refinish is a warm, wood-toned penetrating stain, chosen so future maintenance is a wash and recoat rather than another full strip. The grain is visible again across the field, the railings match the deck, and the surface wears from here instead of peeling.