How to Refinish an Old Wood Deck

Wood decks can last for decades with proper maintenance. The wood can show wear and tear from use and from harsh weather, but you can bring the wood back to life with some basic tools. Many decks are redwood or fir lumber, which will not rot or deteriorate past normal usage from foot traffic. The gray look of an old deck is nothing more that oxidized wood that can easily be sanded off. Once you get down to the original color, a penetrating oil finish will preserve your deck for years to come.

Hammer
Nails
Wood glue
Belt sander with 80-grit sanding belt
Orbital sander with 100-grit sandpaper
Pressure pot spray gun, 1 quart
Linseed oil

Instructions

- 1
  Hammer down any nails that are sticking up. Get on your hands and knees and move around the deck hitting all exposed nails or screws. Put new nails through any loose boards.
- 2
  Pull out any broken nails or screws with a hammer. Look for loose splinters or cracks. If you find any, inject glue into the crack and hammer a nail into it to secure it. Let the glue dry for 1 hour.
- 3
  Sand the deck using a belt sander with an 80 grit belt. Sand with the grain of the boards until the gray color is gone. Sand off any broken corners. Sand down broken off splinters to blend them flush with the surface.
- 4
  Re-sand all vertical posts, rails, handrails, the ends of steps, and terminating ends of structural posts with an orbital sander using 100-grit sandpaper. Lightly sand all horizontal deck rails with the orbital.
- 5
  Fill the pressure pot with linseed oil. Liberally spray the entire deck. Spray underneath, all the vertical upright posts, handrails and steps. Wait one hour for the oil to soak in and spray everything again. Stay off the deck for one week and spray it again. Let it dry for one week before using.

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