Never Peel Again: The Sand & Stain Blog

Every post, recommendation, and product we discuss is to help you on your journey maintaining your deck, fence, & exterior wood so it never blisters, cracks, or peels.

Never Peel Again: The Sand & Stain Blog

Brand new deck / old faded wood / peely previous stain—no matter where you are in your deck & fence staining journey, we’re here to help. Scroll & enjoy!

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5 Reasons You Should Never Pressure Wash Your Wood Deck

You want the best for your deck in care, protection, and aesthetics. Washing seems like a no-brainer to maintain it, so why not make your job easier with the power of a pressure washer? Here are 5 reasons we don’t pressure wash decks in our business, and why we think you shouldn’t pressure wash your deck either.

NOTE: We focus on the maintenance and care of wood decks and do not recommend pressure washing any of them (Cedar, Ipe, Accoya, Kebony, Thermory Ash, etc.) Pressure washing may be perfectly fine for your composite or PVC deck.

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How To Sand A Cedar Deck

Sanding is the first step to setting up your deck, fence, or exterior wood project for longevity and success. It may not be the funnest activity you’ll ever do, but if this crucial prep work is done how we recommend it, you won’t have to prep sand it for years—and perhaps ever again.

Unless you have pressure treated wood, do not skip this step. You need to sand your cedar wood deck, even if it’s brand new and hasn’t grayed yet. This is because it has what’s called mill sheen on its surface that even penetrating oils will not be able to soak into as easily as they should.

Remember, the two biggest reasons a deck fails (peels, blisters, cracks, chips, etc.) is because of: 1) poor prep work, and 2) product quality or type. Here’s how we avoid that first reason and how to get it right the first time.

Part 1: What You’ll Need …

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5 Reasons You Should Never Sand Pressure Treated Wood

You’ve got pressure treated wood and you want to maintain so it lasts and looks its best in the process. You may have heard or read in our articles that sanding prep work is essential before staining, sealing, or finishing a deck.

This is true to remove mill sheen on new cedar lumber, removing peeling stain from a deck, or periodically (after several years or re-coats with a penetrating oil) to restore it before staining it again. The exception to this is: pressure treated lumber.

Here are five reasons reasons you should never sand your pressure treated wood…

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