Power washing VS Sanding Deck - See the difference! 

If you're sanding your deck every "year to 2 years"...you're obviously using a cheap or non lasting sealer such as Thompsons.....I sealed my deck 5 years ago with Cabot Australian Oil and it is still vibrant to this day !

It’s recommended to keep the cord up and over your shoulder, and behind you, so you’re not tripping over it and having to work around it.Sanding is definitely the best option if the wood is in poor condition. I use Armstrong Clark oil based stain, So my yearly deck prep consist of mopping it with a little bit of so be water using Dawn dish soap. That’s it. Then, if it does need a new coat of stain, I just wait for it to dry and roll on the stain with a paint roller, and brush in the edges. So easy. I would never use any other product. It’s also pet safe. And since it’s an oil based stain, it actually stains and protects the wood. Impossible for it to peel, because there’s nothing to peel up. The deck that I am having to sand, I used an acrylic “stain” on it, and it wasn’t inexpensive stuff. It’s an older deck, in a different part of the yard, and of course it peels and looks like hell, very high maintenance and not worth it at all. am going to sand it and use the Armstrong Clark. I’ve learned my lesson. And for those wondering, these decks go through extreme temperatures of high heat and extreme cold and snow and ice, and my Armstrong Clark deck looks great, Because it’s a piece of cake to maintain. I would never pressure wash it, they told me to not use anything on it that I wouldn’t wash my car with, so I just use a good old fashioned deck mop. The Dawn dish soap cuts through any grease and dirt, give it a good rinse with just the regular hose, no harsh pressure. Hi baby the word when it comes to cleaners and rinsing it, everything mild is key. I wash it like it’s fine china, and it thanks me for it. Doesn’t hurt to use an outdoor rug over your high traffic areas as well, looks good, and helps maintain your wood.

Great job! Thanks! Especially for not wasting time talking off topic!

thanks for the upload. I thought the sander would use regular sandpaper like my Dad used. Good to know it's like a precut piece of screen and easy to load. You're the only chanel that showed that, really appreciate the thought put into the process and knowing what a novice needs in a teaching video.

A Deck Sander is recommended for deck sanding. A Square Buff Sander is only recommended for interior wood floors. Using a Square Buff Sander on an interior floor, you have the options to move the sander from left to right, right to left, forward and backward, backward to forward, and diagonal. Using a Square Buff Sander on a deck then you have only one option from left to right and right to left. Make sure all screws and nails are below the surface before sanding. I know this since I work at a Home Depot Tool Rental Center.

If you have some larger cracks, or holes, you should use a wood filler to fill them in. I recommend doing this first, before you sand. AND, if you have a board that is somewhat bad, you could try turning it over, vs buying a new one. If the bottom side is in good condition, flipping it over can save you from buying a new piece of wood.

Great video. I was thinking about replacing my deck, but after watching your video I give it a shot. I'm sure I'll save a lot of money with sanding.

Thanks! Yes, that clarifies

Nice video I use Rymar Extreme Weather Wood Sealer Stain $80 gal but last for years last time in did my deck was at least 6 years. Needs it now.. I will do the sanding trick... much better results for sure.. I have Cedar deck that's 20 yrs old.

I liked it because of the vibrating type

Great video ! Want the grain to POP out ! Use 3 parts Boil Linseed Oil, 2 Parts Thompson Oil Based Water Seal , 1 Part Paint Thinner. Mix Thoroughly - Give the wood more depth.

When you push forward on the sander it moves to the left,when you lean it backwards towards you it moves to the other side.

Good sanding information, but didn't see the comparison with power washing. Still a good video. Thanks.

I decided to be cheap and use the belt sander I already owned. Don't make the same mistake I made. It took 8 hours to completely sand a small deck.

I have an idea how to resolve the chord problem when you spin around. Don't spin around.

It does look really good and rich. Quality job well done 👍

All the manufacturers of pressure treated lumber don’t advise sanding their wood due to the release of fine particles of the preservative chemical into the air. Copper being one ingredient which is harmful to the soil and plants and maybe arsenic, back when pressure treated lumber first was marketed. Check to see when your deck was built to determine if it contains arsenic. If it does, don’t sand it.

I rented this machine for my deck and it was horrible. This sander is not meant to be used on outdoor decks. This sander went through 4 sand paper pads in about 10 minutes. Each of the sand paper pads costs about 8 dollars. If you're planning on sanding your outdoor deck I suggest using a orbital Deck Sander.

Thanks a million!

Great video! I noticed a few boards are getting some weather cracking but they almost add a beautiful texture to the deck after you sanded and waterproofed it! Great video

Great video! I have a 400sq ft deck to sand. Debating on whether to rent the sander for 4 hours or do the day rental

Try using a black pad and no sandpaper. It will get down in the crevices better.

Good for sanding regular stained deck..I'm on 10 papers and 3 pads on a 620sqft deck that someone used deck pain (stain)/ deckover on...

I didn't rent this machine. Instead,I purchased a belt sander with the same price. It will take a little longer to sand the whole deck but you can use the sander for the future projects

It's like a dancing class, left right, turn.

How about decks with 33 yrs of layered paint? These boards were already bare.

Deck looks great!👍

Your neighbor needs to power wash his siding...damn

Does sanding a deck once its dried and with sun beating down, encourage the grain to come up ripply and uneven ? Years ago I sanded mine with an orbital sander, and eventually the surface came really uneven, with bits of wood coming up almost in shards. That makes me hesitant to do it again.

It's been 2 years. Show a b4 power washing pic this time. I have a Herringbone deck.

Looks great! Is your deck cedar or pressure treated pine? We are thinking about doing this too.

If the deck is painted, does the paint have to be stripped off first? I’ve been using chemical paint stripper to remove the paint and it is such a pain. Plus it is expensive because so much is needed. Someone told me to just sand it off and I don’t know if that is something that can or should be done.. thanks ahead of time and thanks for the info and education with this video.

beautiful. I used berh deck over. the first year it was good. now paint is chipping and coming up. so I powered washed it. now guy has to sand it. because of class action lawsuit against berh paint of decks.

Thanks for this brother

Thank you for this informative video. You advise to move the sander in the direction of the wood grain, but then, after one sweep, you turn around and go back over the same area in the opposite direction. Doesn't this conflict with the recommendation to go with the grain? What am I misunderstanding? Thanks.

Great video and good info on what the weight is and how the sanding pad is used. One thing I thought was off was you spinning around and fighting that cord. Why not just go from one end to the other then move to the next boards and go back the other way. I have to think you did it that way so you were facing the camera but I don't know that for sure.

What grit sand paper was used in the video? The question was asked 8 months ago with no answer. Thanks!

Mine is very worn should I power wash first wait 2 days and then sand???

Stupid wood decks. Got rid of mine and built a hardscape patio. Yahoo, no more maintenance or splinters.

Thanks for the video. What is the name of this machine (from Home Depot), and can you also share the grade of the sandpaper that you used? Thank you

How long did this stain last you ? You don’t have to use any type of brightening agents or cleaning agents to remove mildew etc ? I heard Thompsons do not last very long on any deck?

Why did you turn around every time when you switched direction? Wouldn't it have just been easier to stay racing the same way? The cord would have been less of an issue then.

💥 1:35 Hey girls…. You would “enjoy” this job. It’s not just for men.

Wonder if the sanding will help remove the old paint that’s on my deck

You should give your pressure washer to your neighbor looks like their house needs it

Will the Sander stand up to a screw head slightly proud of surface?

Just saw this, thanks. Looks like it does a better job than stripper and pressure washer.

How come you didnt seal the cracks befor you paint it?

Thanks helpful information

Hola Carlos, Tengo una maquina similar, y los q la usaron rajaron la base metálica q soporta la lija. Y además los bujes o resortes de jebe están resecos. Donde consigo los repuestos. También la almohadilla negra y roja. Gracias de antemano Tu Respuesta.

You stated in this video you used sandpaper. But after reviewing the video on the home Depot website it looks like you're using a screen instead of a sandpaper is that true. Thanks Nancy

Great video. Thank you!

Great job

What about spindles and railings

How easy or difficult is it to remove paint from a wood deck? And is it worth it?

What kind of sander is that

how long will the sealer hold up before you have to do it again? I figured I should seal every year, I don't want to put a stain on

You must not have enough to do, if you are sanding and refinishing a deck every year or two!

After sanding the wood clean is it still important to use a deck cleaner to scrub before applying stain

Good video. Will the sander remove peeling old stain, so that I can re-stain it? Thanks

I'm wondering if such a sander could handle a hardwood (IPE) deck. Is there a special sandpaper that you'd recommend in this instance?

Great video. Can you use the sander to remove latex paint just as easily from a large deck? Appreciate the info. Thanks.

I have really old deck 20 plus years old. Not been touched. What steps do you recommend to restore it? What type of sander? Thanks for video. Really good but your deck is well maintained. Ours needs alot of work. Thank you!

Who does their deck every year? Is that really necessary seems like overkill.

Why is deck wood sealer cost so much? If ive done my math correctly, one gallon of it will basically do one privacy fence panel -front and back with a tiny bit left over. Even buying a 5 gallon bucket doesnt seem like it saves too much. Even outdoor paint is costly. I have about 16 panels i need to weather proof somehow (stain or paint) asap so they dont rot.

Why can you see through the sandpaper, it looks more like screening?

Would have like to have scene it after sanding before sealing I bet there was not a big difference between power washing and sanding or you would have showed it what was it like if and where you sealed it after washing that's what we want to see and make our opinion

Thank you I think even I could do this! Being a woman at all LOL. This morning I went out to my deck with my sandpaper my scraper my wire brush my regular brush and was totally overwhelmed. Now that I’ve seen your video Home Depot here I come . What I had in mine was priming it and then painting it. I have already bought both. The water seal seems beautiful and much easier. Maybe I’ll use this on my front deck and my back deck which is huge I can do the water seal. Thank you and what do you think?

Hey Carlos , can you roll on sealer with a roller or do I have to use brush ?

If you were to stain your deck after sanding it you wouldn't have to do it every year just a tip but with the water Thompson water sealer you can't stain it now it won't sink in the wood.

I noticed that you didn't address the large cracks.

How much material does it take off the deck boards? Doing it every year one would imagine the boards getting thinner.

would have been nice to see the difference before then after without the water profing

Great video. It seems like there were tiny cracks that you did not fill. Do U think it is not needed.

Great job. Will this sander tend to get hung up if it hits a nail? It seems like an obvious question but just want to know for sure before I rent so I could recess nails. Thx. Steve, Plymouth, MA

So did you power wash first then sand or no?

If u sand it every second year which grain on paper to use?

Will it work the same against solid stain?

I just got done applying Behr semi transparent stain to unfinished yellow pine pressure treated. The deck was built a year ago. I washed it first let it dry completely for a day in the 80 deg heat. Applied it (16 x 16) to the deck with a pad two coats and let it fry for 4 days. Then I wheeled my grill on it and the stain was lifting with my wheels. When testing how it can be removed, it peels off easy with a orbital hand sander. The stain or acrylic never penetrated the wood. The paper did not even clog up. Do you think this machine can remove the coating even if I have to buy more pads? Thank you

What kind of wood is your deck made of?

Did you have any nails or screws sticking up?

nice job--couple of questions--I assume you went over the entire deck and hammered down any nails sticking up? What kind of wood? why did you choose to waterproof over staining? thanks.

Unfortunately, we inherited a painted wood deck when we moved here. It's a pain to maintain. I'd love to be able to sand off the paint and apply a stain/sealer to it. Will this machine remove the paint by itself? Or do I still need stripper as well? Thanks for the video!

Well done

Will this machine level it? I pressure washed cedar and have grooves now. I'm looking to level it down about an 1/8". Or do I need a drum sander?

Thank for the video .Do you think about 3 days of dry weather is enough to wait b4 sanding after rain?

What about screws that have popped up over the years

What grit is the sand paper/what grit do you recommend? How long would it take you to do the same job with a hand held orbital sander?

Well done, know it has been a year already. What sanding grit did you use?

Great video! What was the waterproofing product you used on your deck?

Hi, my deck looks grey and weathered with old flaking sealant. I pressure washed it, thinking to sand it now. Do you apply a brightener before the sealant? Which products do you recommend?

Great idea.... I used that horrible home Depot deck-over by Rust-Oleum. It's peeling everywhere and a lot came off with a power washer. Do you think this method will work? There's only one or two coats on it?

My deck is a bit rough, like splinter sticking out and a bit moldy. Should I sand it or pressure wash it? Thank you!

Hey I have a painted deck. Do I use the sander the same way? No different right?

Great video, thank you. I was thinking about one of these machines as well but wasn't sure how to operate it. I'm not handy as you can tell. What kind of sandpaper do you use so that it is smooth enough without destroying the wood. I see you don't use deck stain?

Treated lumber with warped joint area boards...I was going to use the HD drum sander. Will this grind down the warped joints?

What sqft does one sanding sheet do?

They rented you the wrong tool bro! Square buff sander is NOT for a deck. They have a " deck sander" that doesn't require the buffing pad and won't shred while going over nails or splinters. It's weighted as well or not because it's removable.

My deck is about the same size as yours and I need to do that. I want to know how long it takes you to do it ? Por favor, le agradezco su cooperación. Muchisimas gracias....Tank you very much....

Would you do anything different for painting a deck? The wood is starting to get worn but not bad.