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I have a new spotted gum deck and I love those boards however the posts and handrails have been completed in rough pine (the kind used for framing) I really want to get them to look as close to the boards as possible but the person who oiled my deck said to paint them as they would never sand smooth without a great deal of work and they will look painted rather than stained anyway
Can I ask how I might get them as close to the colour of the deck boards as possible I know they won’t have the grain that the lovely spotted gum
does or do I have to accept that I should paint them white or similar
deck boards and balustrade
What I would like to achieve
close up of handrail
Hi @PennyH,
That type of timber is called rougher-header, which is the grooves cut in it. You could have had it done in dressed timber, but that typically comes pre-primed, ready for paint and not bare for staining.
I don't think it would be incredibly difficult to sand the timber smooth. You could do it yourself over a couple of days with a sheet orbital sander. Start with 120-grit sandpaper and finish with 180 and 240 grit. A belt sander would remove the grooves quicker, but they can be a bit harder to control, and if you're not familiar with them, it's easy to take off too much material and damage the surface. For a tradesperson, it should only take half to a full day of work.
I'd disagree that the handrails will look painted after staining. Some stains are very pigment-heavy, almost like a paint, but they have that effect on any type of timber, not just treated pine. They're generally the water-based versions that sit on top of the timber. I'd suggest you go for something like Cabot's 4L Deck And Exterior Merbau Oil Based Timber Stain and ensure you do a test section before committing to the whole lot. I recommend you do that now in an inconspicuous location to ensure you're happy. If you can't find a suitable stain, it might not be worth going to the effort of painting.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
