Don't replace your cedar deck, sand it!

Is your cedar deck looking tired and heavily worn?

Today’s cedar decks do not last as long as they used too. There are many factors today that are contributing to the premature failure of cedar decking such as UV light, existing trees and plant life around the deck, water from pools or hot tubs and the quality of the cedar that is now being sold. Cedar decks are now looking older and wearing out faster, instead of having a beautiful cedar deck for 20 years people are finding that their cedar decking is lasting 10 years and then looks like it needs to be replaced.

Before you decide to tear up the cedar from the top of your deck, throwing it away so that you can install new decking there is something that you can try.

You can have your deck sanded. When I say sanded I don’t mean have your deck sanded by someone with a palm sander, I mean have you deck sanded by someone who re-finishes floors for a living.

Companies that re-finish floors use large, heavy drum sanders that efficiently remove the top layer of wood, this is usually all that is weather warn on your cedar deck unless the board is completely rotten.

Once you sand through the first ¼ inch of cedar you will usually find that the decking looks rather new.

The advantages of doing this are several;

• The cost is far less then tearing up your whole deck and re-installing a new top.

• You will be able to get 10 more years out of the same wood instead of having to use more resources.

• The sanding of your deck is much quicker and less invasive then tearing up the old cedar and having carpenters install a new one.

• Sometimes when you take the top of a deck off you end up damaging the framing below, this then requires you to spend more money repairing it as well.

• Cedar decking is a lot more expensive then it was when your deck was originally installed with it.

There are other costs that you will need to know if you want your deck sanded;

1. Someone has to drive the existing nails or screws in the decking lower before the deck can be sanded. This can take a couple of days depending on how big the deck is.

2. You will probably find some boards that are beyond sanding and need to be removed and replaced with new ones.

3. You will have to remove all of the things on the deck like barbeques and patio furniture so that it can be sanded and repaired properly.

4. You should have a coat of water sealer applied on the cedar after it’s been sanded to help the decking last longer.

When looking out at the old tired cedar deck think about a finish instead of a completely new top.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.