How to restore a cedar wood deck easily

Restoring a weathered cedar deck easily, step by step

如果未经处理，雪松板在短短几年内就会变成灰色，会让你的平台看起来比实际更老，更接近寿命的尽头。这里有一些简单的技巧来修复旧甲板，让雪松甲板恢复原来的颜色。Deck repairs can often extend the useful life of a deck and delay having to replace deck planks for many years. If you’re new at building or minor renovations and looking for easy DIY tips for decking repairs and renovation, to prevent having to repair your deck more often than should be necessary, we would also suggest reading our page aboutbuilding beautiful decks that last.

Step by step DIY deck restoration:

1. Pressure wash the deck first.
2. Identify any damaged deck boards that need fixing.
3. Assess what needs to be fixed - determine which deck boards can be salvaged and which need replacing.
4. If a damaged section of deck is a risk of causing slivers, remove it and see if the other side is usable.
5. 压力洗涤翻转甲板颜色一致性。
6. Replace any unsalvageable boards with new decking.
7. Look for loose, protruding or severly corroded screws, replace them or drive them further in as needed.
8. Wait for a sunny-weather window and stain the newly cleaned wood deck with a good quality deck stain.

Replacing rotten cedar deck boards

旧甲板首先要处理的通常是顶层甲板板，它们通常会在两个甲板板在搁栅处相交的切口处开始腐烂。Water can pool on the top of cupped deck boards as well as at the joists, which will increase the rate of decay. Often times with cedar decking, the very ends will rot while the rest of the board may still be in good shape.

减少需要更换的甲板板数量的一个建议是，将甲板拆下，将损坏的一端剪掉，这样当你重新安装损坏的板时，它只是更短，你可以用新的板填补空的部分。一定要把它剪到一个长度，它会落在搁栅上，并尽量抵消关节，如果可能的话，虽然这真的只是为了美观。在你必须修剪的甲板的末梢纹路上使用防腐剂也是明智的，因为末梢纹路通常最容易被雨水浸湿，导致它们过早腐烂。

Can you flip old deck boards over?

Yes, you can often flip cedar deck boards to delay replacing them. First, be sure that the damage is mostly on the surface and that the deck board is still solid enough to support weight between the supporting joist spans.The underside of planks will be weathered very differently, so going over those individual boards with the pressure washer can help blend the colors. Often what happens with weathered deck boards is that cracks cause small sections of the tree’s grain to pop loose, which makes this a high risk for causing slivers, and damage can be made worse with over-enthusiastic application of the pressure washer.

Below you can see a deck that has been carefully pressure washed. You can see some boards of a slightly more gray color that were flipped, and some that were replaced with new boards.

How to protect deck joists from rotting

One of the easiest tips for making a deck last longer is protecting the joists. The flat top surface of deck joists will usually have standing water on it, which will shorten its life.A simple waterproof membrane on top of the joist will greatly slow the rot and extend their life. You may find products like ‘specialized deck joist tape’, which is mostly a *specialized* word to accompany a *specialized* price, as in a higher one.

膜不需要有什么特别的;你可以买一层剥离粘沥青膜，或者你可以使用像胶带一样简单的东西，但要注意，如果颜色或图案很明显，你就能看到它。所以像黑色胶带或膜这样的东西是最不引人注意的。

Covering the top surface of decking joists will prevent standing water from saturating them, so if you waterproof the top surface and just over the edge to the vertical surface, water can drain off and the deck stucture can dry. Keeping water out of cracks by taping the tops of joists before installing decking will prevent the wood from expanding when wet and will also help screws hold tighter.

Taping deck joists is obviously easier to do when building new decks to make them last, or when removing all the deck boards to turn them over, but it is still worth applying to whatever sections you lift. Wet deck joists will transfer moisture right back to any deck boards, so if you cut rotted ends and lay them back down, taping under them will at least protect individual boards and the joists underneath.

Is a pressure washer or power washer best for cleaning a deck?

高压清洗机是一种气体或电动马达，连接到普通的花园软管，迫使水在高压下从喷嘴流出。你可以在商店里买到，如果你不经常使用，商店也可以租到。人们经常问高压清洗机和高压清洗机有什么区别;那就是简单的水温。高压洗衣机用冷水，动力洗衣机用热水。你不需要热水来冲洗甲板。

Do you need detergent to pressure wash a deck?

Like so many things on the internet, you will find answers on both sides of the fence. Having done it with and without, I personally would not use detergent.If I were going to use it again, it certainly would not be specialized (and pricey) deck cleaner, and certainly not anything toxic. I would use some biodegradable dish soap and water, give it a good scrub with stiff bristled brush and then pressure wash it off.

That said, I just have not found that the added effort makes enough of a difference to bother. With a good consistent technique, a pressure washer can bring gray cedar back to looking fresh without the need for detergents and scrubbing. That’s only my opinion, but by all means try different procedures in different (and fairly hidden) sections yourself and see what works best in your opinion.

The best way and best angle to pressure wash a deck

开始非常缓慢，当压力洗涤甲板作为你甲板翻新的一部分，并开始在一个不太明显的地区，因为一个压力洗涤器可以迅速变成一个雕刻工具在新秀的手中。

You’ll need to feel it out, but as a starting place – choose a flat and wide nozzle, and hold the pressure washer at about a 45 degree angle, always going in the same the grain. Pressure washing with the grain is extremely important to remove as much grit as possible and to leave wood as smooth as possible.

If you are wondering why your deck is fuzzy after pressure washing, that is most likely due to choosing the wrong nozzle, not going with the grain, or having too high an angle. Going against the grain will rip the wood fibers loose, that is the fuzz you may be feeling. After watching a few YouTube DIY ‘how to pressure wash your deck’ videos, it became apparent to me that a lot of people seem to substitute quality and care with chemicals and scrubbing, and that can all be avoided with due diligence and thought.

Go in a methodical pattern, and go with the grain as much as possible on your deck planks. You won’t always be able to, but blending up to joints where wood changes directions will lessen the damage.

When you first pull the trigger, hold the pressure washer steady and further from the wood then approach it slowly, moving in the direction of the grain. I find being about a foot away on a 30- 45 degree angle to weathered deck planks works best, but of course this will depend on the power of the machine and the nozzle you’re using. If you see all the gray gunk flying off the decking boards and it leaves an orange color with the grain visible again, and no fuzz, you’re doing great.

Using a spinning nozzle on a pressure washer for deck cleaning

One of our team swears by using a special spinning nozzle for deck cleaning with his pressure washer - when used in the same fashion as the fan shaped jet above.He originally ordered it after cleaning a concrete pathway and leaving lots of streaks and lines, and then tried it when pressure washing a dirty old cedar deck that had been neglected for many years. He was pleased by the result on his deck as it evens out the pressure and prevents inadvertently gouging holes and lines in soft cedar decking planks while making it easier to cover a larger area more quickly.

This is the latest model of spinning nozzleyou can find on Amazon, but you do need to check that the specification suits your pressure washer - and if you do try it, we will of course get a small donation from Mr. Bezos and company to the Ecohome Network cause!

Do you need to sand a deck after pressure washing?

That depends partly on how good a job you did with the pressure washer. If you were careful to go with the grain then you shouldn’t have too many fuzzy fibers sticking up.Therefore, sanding the entire deck wouldn’t really be necessary and might make it slippery when wet or if covered with leaves or slime.

I would suggest using a palm sander to catch any rough spots on the deck and I would also sand the railings anywhere you will be grabbing it with a hand. Again, taking your time when pressure washing could avoid needing to scrub it with chemical cleaners; it can also cut down on the amount of sanding you’ll need to do. If the whole deck needs sanding we would recommend renting a professional size belt sander used along the grain over a drum sander - as cedar will probably gouge far too easily if tryinga drum sander that is more adapted to refinishing interior wood floors.

What is the best stain and way to stain a deck?

After restoring a deck by replacing some decking, flipping deck boards if they are still in good shape and pressure washing to get it back to an even clean color, it's time to let it dry thoroughly to prevent the new deck sealer from peeling.For the next steps on renovating a deck, see our page how to choose the best deck stain and how to stain a deck.

Now you know more abouthow to restore a cedar wood deck easily. Findmore pages for DIY reno guidesandsustainable and resilient green building techniqueshere : What is the best stain for old wood decks and how to apply it? How to build beautiful decks that last All about water-permeable pavers, stones & landscapes Natural swimming pools - DIY or pro building tips Find more about green home constructionin the EcohomeGreen Building Guide pagesand if you would like moreDIY reno articles like this, then在这里注册成为生态家庭网络的免费会员。

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