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Hello I have just painted my garden fence which I'm pretty happy with. Now my deck looks terrible in comparison! ijust gave it a clean with White Knight to get rid of a lot of the moss. I've never painted or oiled a deck before so have no idea what I need to do. It also got a few splashes of Dulux Domino from the fence painting which I need to cover. There is also a slightly rotten patch where leaves have been sitting. What is the best thing to do with it? Thanks for your help.
Rosemary
It's great to hear you've decided to restore the deck, as it could potentially add thousands of dollars worth of value to your home. How large is the deck? I'd recommend hiring a belt-driven floor sander if you can head into a store. It will be much easier to use than an electric hand sander, and you'll get a much better finish. My mother sander her deck with an electric hand sander, and from all descriptions, it was not a great experience. She still blames it for her knees being shot 10 years later,
Mitchell
Hi Mitchell
The deck is only small -2.35 by 3.45 metres and those big floor sanders looks scary!
Wouldn't I have to do the edges by hand anyway?
Can I just ask when I get the new palings in is the aim of the sanding to get the deck stripped back to look like the original wood which I think is treated pine? Will this mean that the stain will be easier to apply?
Your poor mum! Why didn't you do it for her??? 
Rosemary
If it's a small deck, then it is possible to do it by hand, but I'd still recommend grabbing a pair of knee pads. You would have to still sand the edges after using the machine.
Yes, the idea is to expose fresh timber that hopefully should resemble the new boards. By exposing fresh timber, you'll remove any marks and inconsistencies in the colouring of the timber, and it will absorb the stain easier. Once the stain is applied, you'll get a lovely uniform look. If you didn't sand, you'd likely end up with a mottled, patchy and irregular look.
I tried Rosemary; believe me, I tried. She wouldn't wait for my weekend and instead did it herself. I think she was a bit panicked as she had house inspections coming up for the sale of the property. However, her efforts obviously paid off as she received a record sale price for the area two hundred thousand above any other similar duplex in the complex. She was also lucky to find a buyer that was desperate to purchase in that complex which helped.
Mitchell
So after getting palings replaced and spending an afternoon with a belt sander with 36 grit, this is what I've got. Another sanding session you reckon? It's hard work and my knees are feeling it. Also what can I use for the edges? I don't see finishing sanders for hire? Will a new jarrah stain cover this?
Any comments or suggestions welcome.
Rosemary
Hi @RosemaryK,
Great work so far! I'd say another sanding session would be needed to remove the rest of that discolouration. Something like this Floor Edger would normally be used around the perimeter. If you flip the belt sander upside down, does the belt come closer to one side of the machine than the other? If so, running the sander on the closer side might get you nearer to the fence. The Jarrah stain will help disguise the paint transition, but I'm unsure if it will cover it completely.
Mitchell
I did some more sanding- don't think I can do anymore. I will give it another clean with the deckcleaner and then I think I will have to stain it! I had a look at the colour of stain you recommended Jarrah but it seems so light. I'd really like a rich warm dark brown.
I think that might hide discolouration a bit more too. Any other suggestions- water based stain - happy for any brand. Im actually looking forward to the staining process
Thanks so much
Rosemary
