When it comes to painting or staining your deck, the prep work that you do prior to applying the paint or stain is vital in order for your deck to look superb. The prepping process is fairly simple however, it could be considered laborsome. In this blog, we will discuss pressure washing, chemical solutions, and sanding.
Pressure Washing
Whether your deck is painted, stained, or bare you need to pressure wash it prior to painting or staining it. By pressure washing your deck, you ensure that the surface is clean and if you had a previous paint job, it will help save time and peel off loose paint.
Pro Tip #1: Spray With The Grain
When pressure washing your deck it is very important to spray in the same direction as the grain in the wood. By not following this tip, you risk leaving hideous perpendicular striations.
Chemical Solutions
Removing Mildew, Moss, and Algae
If you happen to have mildew and mold on the surface of your deck, you will need a cleaning solution. You can find a plethora of deck cleaning solutions at your local hardware store. One that we recommend is the Simple Green® Oxy Solve Deck and Fence Cleaner because it will seamlessly eliminate any mold, mildew, algae, and moss stains.
Removing Old Paint or Stain
There are also chemical solutions to effectively remove old paint and stain from your deck. These chemicals are referred to as paint strippers and can be found at your local Lowe’s or Home Depot
Working with these types of chemicals could be dangerous. If you would like to hire the experts, call Zuck Painting Inc. at (508) 250-7272 or visit our Contact Us Page.
Sanding
Sanding is the most important step in the preparation process. By effectively sanding the surface of your deck, you ensure an even application of paint or stain. When sanding your deck we recommend using 60-150 grit sandpaper. the higher the grit the finers the sandpaper will be meaning that it will remove less material from the surface you are sanding.
We recommend using a palm sander or orbital sander. These power tools will help speed up the process but will also provide a better quality job for half the effort compared to hand sanding.
When Do I Know When To Stop Sanding?
It is time to put down the sander when you can run your finger over the surface of your deck and everything is feather smooth or flush. For example, if you can visibly see your previous paint job, sand the area until the previous paint and the bare wood feel flush.
Looking for experts to get the prep and job done right? Give us a call at (508) 250-7272 to set up a FREE quote or visit our Contact Us Page.