Over the last 25 years, wood deck finishing and refinishing has proven to be the single most common home improvement topic people ask me about. Many Canadians have decks that are aging poorly and they want to know how to make them look nice again with minimal effort.
Others have a guilt complex, wondering what they’re doing wrong because their deck stain never lasts more than a year or two.
Sometimes I hear from people with decks that are rotten and ugly on top, while the structure underneath is still sound. Many times my deck recommendations include a suggestion most homeowners have never thought about.
Replacing wood walking surfaces with synthetic deck lumber is becoming more popular. There’s no finishing, no rot, just the occasional washing and perhaps some scrubbing every few years to remove lichen in shady locations. Sounds good, but there’s a hitch.
Price sticker shock is the main resistance towards synthetic decking, but the price isn’t entirely the way it seems at first. When you buy synthetics you’re not just getting the building material itself, you’re also side-stepping all the deck stain costs and labour required to keep an equivalent amount of wood looking good over is entire life. Viewed this way, even expensive composites are actually cheaper than wood that you plan to keep finished.
Another advantage of composites is that you never have those nagging weeks or months of telling yourself, “Oh no, that deck’s looking bad again. I really need to get it refinished. Didn’t I just do that job?”
I’ve never met a homeowner who built with synthetics or resurfaced with them who didn’t wish they’d done it years earlier.
When it comes to synthetic lumber, there are a few details to consider. Composite lumber is one type of synthetic, made from a blend of wood fibers and reclaimed plastic. All-plastic lumber is another option, too. In addition, there are either solid synthetics or hollow versions. Hollow is cheaper, but I prefer solids because they can be cut and shaped just like real wood.
My favourite synthetic deck material so far is Trex. I first used it in 2002 and I haven’t seen anything that’s better. I’ve used Trex for lots of projects of my own and recommend it to people who come to me for advice. It’s a solid product (not hollow like some) and I know from experience that Trex is virtually timeless in the sun and weather. The stuff I installed 17 years ago remains unchanged.
One particularly nice feature of the current version of Trex is the grooved edges and invisible fastener system they offer. It’s less expensive than aftermarket invisible fasteners, and you can remove individual boards later if anything needs to be repaired anywhere on the deck. All synthetic decks look best when they aren’t riddled with visible deck screws. If you’re going to the expense of using synthetics, be sure to use some kind of hidden fastener system.
On every deck installation, there are always a few areas where hidden fasteners can’t be used. The outer edges of the deck and the inner row of boards where they meet the house are two examples. In the past, I’ve cut and installed tapered plugs to hide countersunk screw heads and this works well. A simpler option involves the use of a type of deck screw with a head that’s tiny and made to look good.
The TrapEase3 deck screw has a small, colour-matched head that looks clean and simple. Using these screws where hidden fasteners can’t go is now my go-to approach. The manufacturer says you can drive these without predrilling, but I get much better results if I drill a 5/32-inch diameter hole first, through the deck board only. Sometimes the best way to win the deck finishing challenge is to play an entirely different game.
— Steve Maxwell still helps lots of people finish wood decks optimally. Visit baileylineroad.com/how-to-stain-deck-properly to learn everything you need to know about finishing your wood deck.
Source: – https://www.thesudburystar.com/news/local-news/maxwell-resurfacing-decks-saves-finishing-hassles
