# Stripping Decks



## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

All of a sudden I'm getting a ton of calls for deck staining this year. Not that I like to do them but I hate throwing good leads away. These small jobs often turn into referrals for larger jobs.

Last year I did a complete strip of a cedar deck using Benjamin Moore Clean, Restore & Brighten chemicals. I used Sikkens Cetol SRD as the stain. It came out looking great.

Lots of sweat equity in that type of work even though you are using a pressure washer and chemicals. Agitating with a scrub brush is hard work when it's 80 or 90 degrees...lol

That being said, I'm looking at deck sanders as an easier method. The benefit of using a sander is that you don't have to wait 3 days for the deck to dry.

Does anyone own a deck sander? Can you recommend a model to rent? I have a Festool RO90 to do the edging.

I know even deck sanders have some drawbacks. They are heavy and it can do damage on uneven boards. Sandpaper discs are pricey.

I've passed on 4-5 decks already but may start to take them on if I can find an easier method to strip them.

Does that even exist? Maybe the answer is a combination of sanding and chemicals? I hate using chemicals on stairs and the vertical surfaces of a deck. I won't do spindles but that rarely is requested.

I think a smaller deck sander would be more beneficial than one of those large ones. You'd be able to use it in smaller sections. I wonder if there is one (with a handle) that is 9" like the size of a Festool Planex? Imagine having a 9" deck sander with the stripping power of a Festool R090! Hauling it around would be a breeze.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Ya, my back is still sore from grinding down the last deck a few weeks ago. I used a 36 grit sanding disk on a 6" grinder/sander. Still pressure washed the crap out it first though.. I would consider a stand up sander for a bigger deck for sure. You can rent them at home depot..Especially if paint is failing horribly.


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## cocomonkeynuts (Apr 14, 2017)

I have seen a lot of guys here moving on to media blasters. Seems really interesting to me anyway


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

There's a system called Onfloor16 . It's a walk-behind, round machine with 3 rotating heads inside with wire brush attachments instead of sandpaper. It's like sanding down the deck but the wire brushes last quite a while. They say it won't sand down nails/screws..
They have a handheld unit that plugs into the larger one to sand edges of the deck.

It's expensive, but so is a good pump, pressure washer or floor sander.


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

What do you mean, you won't do spindles? If they need to be sanded to remove old product you refuse the work? Or tell them you only paint/stain over what's there?

I've sanded spindles with an octosander (mouse sander) if they are too close to each other there isban extension attachment for the DTS400 and maybe the ro90


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## Mr Smith (Mar 11, 2016)

ridesarize said:


> What do you mean, you won't do spindles? If they need to be sanded to remove old product you refuse the work? Or tell them you only paint/stain over what's there?
> 
> I've sanded spindles with an octosander (mouse sander) if they are too close to each other there isban extension attachment for the DTS400 and maybe the ro90


NO----I don't do spindles & railings If they want a complete strip down to bare wood of the whole deck. Many decks don't have a railing. I barely have enough patience for stairs. I just don't need to do sh*t work these days. 

Quite often people want a solid stain or paint removed and then a translucent stain like Cetol SRD RE applied. It has to be a blank canvas with no residual paint or stain that will show through the new finish. 

Last year was the first time I stripped down a deck floor with chemicals so obviously, I've turned them down my entire working career.

I've been told that the machine with the wire brushes tears up decks and not to use it. This came from a store employee who has one of them to rent.


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

Mr Smith said:


> NO----I don't do spindles & railings If they want a complete strip down to bare wood of the whole deck. Many decks don't have a railing. I barely have enough patience for stairs. I just don't need to do sh*t work these days.
> 
> Quite often people want a solid stain or paint removed and then a translucent stain like Cetol SRD RE applied. It has to be a blank canvas with no residual paint or stain that will show through the new finish.
> 
> ...


Okay thanks


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Mr Smith said:


> NO----I don't do spindles & railings If they want a complete strip down to bare wood of the whole deck. Many decks don't have a railing. I barely have enough patience for stairs. I just don't need to do sh*t work these days.
> 
> Quite often people want a solid stain or paint removed and then a translucent stain like Cetol SRD RE applied. It has to be a blank canvas with no residual paint or stain that will show through the new finish.
> j
> ...


 Can appreciate your honesty! :wink:


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## Painting Practice (Jul 21, 2013)

Mr Smith said:


> NO----I don't do spindles & railings If they want a complete strip down to bare wood of the whole deck. Many decks don't have a railing. I barely have enough patience for stairs. I just don't need to do sh*t work these days.
> 
> Quite often people want a solid stain or paint removed and then a translucent stain like Cetol SRD RE applied. It has to be a blank canvas with no residual paint or stain that will show through the new finish.
> 
> ...



I don't necessarily turn them down, but i do bid very high in hopes they will find a more hungry painter to do it.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

I can barely remember the last deck I did. I can easily remember the last one I turned down.


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## finishesbykevyn (Apr 14, 2010)

Painting Practice said:


> I don't necessarily turn them down, but i do bid very high in hopes they will find a more hungry painter to do it.


Me too, then I secretly like to drive by the house and see which sorry suckers got the job:vs_smirk:


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## ridesarize (Jun 19, 2012)

I'll sand down deck spindles and decks, considering that's what the job requires and that's what the client is paying for. I'll charge them what it costs I'll do the job I'll be happy and they'll be happy.


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## slinger58 (Feb 11, 2013)

ridesarize said:


> I'll sand down deck spindles and decks, considering that's what the job requires and that's what the client is paying for. I'll charge them what it costs I'll do the job I'll be happy and they'll be happy.




I've never been happy while working on a deck. I'm semi-retired now and I'm determined to be happy, so there are no decks in my future.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## futtyos (Aug 11, 2013)

Most decks I have seen, considering the materials being used and the technology used to "finish" them, are designed to fail and deteriorate much like downspouts on gutters are engineered and designed to plug up given the right environment and circumstances. It's hard enough just to caulk and coat vertical materials to withstand the onslought of precipitation. 

futtyos


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## BNix (Jun 6, 2018)

This is a tool we use to sand decks with - SandReach. You can mount your palm sander to an extension pole so you're not bending over or working on your hands and knees all day. It actually works really well and is very cost effective.


Hope this helps


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## Center_line_Painting (Jun 4, 2017)

OMG @BNix
that little piece of overpriced hardware has me drooling!
Brilliant idea!

Marketing videos on that are top notch.
I've never used a cordless orbital, but that could be a convenient system.


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