How to Refinish a Deck | Sand It or Strip It?

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Welcome to the official April Wilkerson KZbin channel. I’m April and I’m the creator of Wilker Do’s. I'm not professional or have any training, so I just pick the project I want to tackle and figure it out step by step. On this channel you will find a variety of content like DIY home improvement, How-To’s, construction and more.

[@louroberts5567]

Good morning, April! The porch looks GREAT! I watched my neighbor do this to his deck about two years ago (thinking he was nuts) and it came out looking beautiful. I love that you have two levels to your porch. Makes me want to fulfill one more (in my dreams) project and build a deck over my deck. It would be nice to walk out of our bedroom and take in the fresh air in the morning. Thanks for sharing another great video with an awesome idea that most wouldn't dream of doing. Keep 'em coming! God bless.

[@justine7143]

I literally just followed every single step and I really wanna tell you how much I appreciate this video. You saved me thousands of dollars and I feel really proud that I was able to accomplish this myself in a week for only $150.

[@30guarino]

Nice Job Justine 7143

[@allenwilson9656]

The spots that didn't sand off on the original board made a darker spot when you sanded makes a good contrast. 👍 great job April

[@lasmith07]

My wife and I love your videos and used so many things we learned about or saw on your channel when remodeling our old house. The results were amazing. Thank you for the awesome content!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks! Glad you enjoy my channel. Thanks for watching.

[@garycdawson]

Great vid April. I did the same thing about 20 years ago on a deck that had aged several years. Using a large 18” floor disk sander with 60 grit, then 120 grit, got it level as a pool table. What made it easy was the fact that I used a under deck fastening system. All of the typical cuppiness you get with PT pine boards was gone.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing and for watching.

[@guybowers9094]

Definitely a better choice for the color. Great to see the sander in action as my son has wood floors in his house that need to be re-done

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Looks so good April, you folks did a great job putting new color back into your decks. Thanks for sharing with us. Fred.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks for watching

[@BearCreekWoodworking]

I’m so glad you replaced the nails sticking up with screws. It takes longer but well worth the time. Over all a great job April! 😃👏

[@AprilWilkerson]

Yes it was time consuming to be sure but well worth it. Thanks for watching.

[@WillysPerformanceCycleCtr]

That’s a great idea April! Using a floor sander is quick and easy. Great timing, too, I need to do 2 porches and a deck. I had never thought of using a sander. Thanks for sharing another great video.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@number1pappy]

Thank you for this video. This idea popped up in my head a few weeks ago, but the two people I've asked about it said it wouldn't work. This only made me want to do even more! Lol! Honestly, I don't understand why anyone would think this method wouldn't work 🤔! What I want is a deck that is flat across all the boards. My wife and grandkids walk around bare footed, and having a deck that is actually flat would be nice. Our deck is about 8 years old and needs refinishing. Thankfully, the original owners used the "camo screw system" when they built the deck, so screw or nail heads won't be an issue. Your video is proof that this works! I'll be renting a sander soon! Thanks again!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@SchysCraftCo.]

Very nice job April. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work. Keep making. God bless.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you so much!

[@robertmaguda3809]

you could have rented a deck sander, does a great job. I would also sand with the grain to minimize sanding lines.

[@FredMcIntyre]

Nicely done April! 😃👍🏻👊🏻

[@robertkerby2581]

I loved this one! I am getting ready to strip, and refinish our much smaller Backporch, and I think that I will try your method. Well done, April!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome, enjoy the process! Thanks for watching.

[@lovejones7545]

Awesome April and just in time! I'm in the process of staining my Deck and your video is just what I needed🤙🏾💯. The view from your deck is priceless. A cup of coffee in the morning and that view❤

[@AprilWilkerson]

Great! Glad it was useful. Yes, the view is so relaxing. Thanks for watching.

[@unrealmccoy1286]

I wanted to do this exact same thing on my huge deck but didn't want to risk breaking a rented belt sander with a stray nail so I did it all by hand with a belt sander. Yea, it was agonizing. And now seeing your success, I'd do it this way in the future. Looks great!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks! I'm loving how the end result looks. Thanks for watching.

[@audreyb3690]

Thanks so much for this video. I compared it to several other pressure washing, chemical treatment videos, and felt that this looked way faster and easier. I rented the same floor sander you used and it took me just a few hours to do my deck (about 350 square feet). I appreciated not using chemicals or a bunch of water and the option to stain right away. I would definitely do this again the next time! Highly recommend.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! Yes, it's a game changer to be sure! Thanks for Sharing and for watching.

[@joeclark2514]

I am looking to do a strip, stain, and seal on my very large back deck, so I have been looking for a way to do it without killing myself. I was curious how that exact sander would work on an outside deck. Thanks for showing me. I now have a lot more confidence to go ahead and push through to do it myself. Your issues are the same that I have with railing, nails, etc. Perfect video.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! I'm glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@darrenairey5938]

Stripper and conditioner will always give best results. The reason the pressure washer left marks was because you need to do full passes feathering out, cant just stop back and fourth at high pressure. Looks good for a DIY job. Ive been restoring exterior wood for 20 years. 👍

[@dabig77]

What products do you reccomend?

[@richardmckrell4899]

Every modern stain option is just a plastic coating which will require sanding to re-coat after a few years. Try using a linseed oil paint stain which requires no sanding to re-coat, just cleaning. If you're replacing the nails with screws, flip the boards over, the bottom of the deck boards will be pristine.

[@yeshathegardener]

Tell more Will I need to power wash first? I sanded my deck 3 years ago and it’s time to paint it again.

[@theoutdoorguy8740]

I have to say this is pretty informative. I did use a pressure washer on my deck when I first stained it and it worked very well. I had concerns about destroying the boards but it was fine. The problem I have now is the pressure washer doesn't work anymore. So I'm looking to change how I do it. I think I'm going to try the route that you went and see how it turns out.

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Great job on the deck April! Thanks for sharing the video with us!💖👍😎JP

[@drewcama2488]

I have done it this way as well. They also rent edgers so you can get up close to the walls and posts. Always do your first pass perpendicular and your second pass with the grain and go up in grit for a smoother finish. you can even do your first pass on a 45 perpendicular if the wood is really cupped. doing 3 passes always the last with the grain.

[@stanbinary]

Loved the doggy moment!

[@ashtondrake3407]

That looks awesome April.

[@mary8273]

Thanks for the education on sanding the floor/deck

[@TheFlyingCarpenterOfficial]

Did my deck this past summer...sanded it all by hand with an orbital sander and 80 grit. Took a long time but did a great job.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Wow! I bet that did take a min! But what satisfaction when you were finished! Great job and determination. Thanks for watching.

[@mikecurtis2585]

Very nice looks like a easy process!!!

[@retiredusmc9090]

I am going to be refinishing my deck, and your video gave me an easier and better way to do it, thank you.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! Glad it helped!

[@christophermackey8169]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for doing this video. I’ve been wanting and considered sanding my old, uneven, nail-popping deck for a few years but after endless research and finding no videos or mentions of it figured there must be a reason and it wasn’t practical. Now if finally have the answer and the instructions how to do it. Can’t wait to get my project started and my deck looking brand new!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! I'm glad you found it useful. Enjoy the process. Thanks for watching.

[@dogwoodtales]

i did the same thing to my deck - once - and it worked well. I sanded across like you did, but then diagonally and then with the grain. I wouldn't do this more than once, m a y b e twice to the deck but watch the thickness of the boards! The pt pine decking is softer than, say, red oak flooring (and also not supported by a sub-floor!), so more wood is being removed by that drum sander. So my 1" deck boards were thinned out to about 7/8 by the time I was finished sanding. Do that again in a few years and you're going to have a springy deck that's not as strong as it was before.

[@michellew3602]

Awesome, I really want to try this.

[@ellieboa]

It looks so much better!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Yes! I'm so pleased with how it turned out. Thanks for watching.

[@bruce-le-smith]

I like this method thanks, also seems like a good way to get a feel for using a floor sander before having a go at a nice interior floor.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Yes, exactly! Thanks for watching.

[@alexhb12333]

Yes! Lots of people are using that rusty orange color, it is so weird. Love your new color choice!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you!!

[@Ratt1959]

We stained our front 8 x 8 deck a dark brown to match the trim on our house. However, we used the redwood stain on our 12 x 16 rear deck, mainly because it was only $13 a gallon. It has been 6 years, and it's finally peeling up to where it needs to be redone. Going to try to find a rental place that has a sander. Our Home Depot doesn't rent them here.

[@Nesha0207]

Thanks for the inspiration!!!

[@TheGaryNinja]

Hey I'm new to home improvement and tackling the deck is on my to do list. This was really helpful as I'm going to give this a try. Thanks for your knowledge!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks! Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@robertjosephmurphyii4947]

Great job again April...

[@craigyarmulasr1845]

Great job 👍

[@dddube12]

Great idea April love the finished product!!!! Lucky pup!!!! 😂

[@jamesburrows4249]

lovely job April and the deck is amazing and i love the videos every time and i always wanted to meet you in person

[@patrickwhelan8118]

Watched this from New Zealand. Great video, and has prompted me to start my deck this weekend

[@AprilWilkerson]

Great! Enjoy the build. Thanks for watching.

[@jjryansea]

Great advice April, been considering the exact same methods. Thanks.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@ΓΕΡΑΣΙΜΟΣΣΤΡΑΓΓΑΣ]

So cool... Great job April 👍

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad you liked it!!

[@jessemann7873]

I inherited a massive orange deck I've been meaning to re-finish for a couple of months. This video is what I needed. Many thanks.

[@AprilWilkerson]

You are so welcome! Glad you found it useful. Yes, my orange deck had to go! This made short order of it. Thanks for watching.

[@HandymanLand]

Awesome video April! Thanks again... 👍

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad you liked it!!

[@chompelopez]

👏👏👏Thank you very much. Extremely straightforward and informative. Great work

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching.

[@glencrandall7051]

Your deck looks great April.👍👍

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you!

[@shmiggz]

Looks amazing as usual!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you!

[@maxxxie74]

Watching that paint come off was the most satisfying experience!!

[@AprilWilkerson]

It really was! I love the instant gratification in seeing the night and day difference. Thanks for watching.

[@PhillyTom]

Nice job. Awesome video thanks for posting.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.

[@michaelbluejay]

Super-helpful as always. One thing: I've seen manufacturers and pros recommend to do only one coat (not multiple) on decks that have been sanded (or new wood).

[@colettejaques2559]

But some like Benjamin Moore stain...you can apply a sealer

[@pablodisilva9057]

Thank you! So awesome!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@brianrombough5544]

I resurfaced a 300 squre foot cedar deck several years back and instead of the rotary floor sander I used a square pad floor sander. The pads were 16 inches square and the sander works exactly like a small woodworking pad sander. Because the sanding pad is large enough to span several 2X6 deck boards the chances of gouging the soft cedar was reduced. Like you I used a belt sander to clean up close to the house and aroung the attached bench seats.

[@mikefisher474]

That is all true. And it also takes 10x as long. Those square sanders are for the finishing on a floor after using the belt sander.

[@gregm6604]

I'd be curious to know how many belts of 24 grit paper you went through and what the total square footage? Refinishing my front deck is first up on my priority list this spring. Great job as always.

[@protect.your.digits.creations]

It came out great , always interesting and Educational.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks! I'm glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@LarryKennedy-ts1es]

Thank you.

[@jpksilver]

Very helpful, thank you

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@therelaxingwoodshop7495]

As always great info and brilliantly executed

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@therelaxingwoodshop7495]

@@AprilWilkerson I did . If you get time to yourself please have a flick at my son & I Halloween special. A bit of old B movies thrown in for good measure 😂😂😂

[@carmenbarriga6261]

Thanks for sharing. I was wondering if I could use the floor sander. Yay!!

[@AprilWilkerson]

It worked great! Thanks for watching.

[@garyoneill7551]

Thanks great idea

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks!

[@eskew79]

Thank you so much for sharing this. I am currently working on a deck that I have used 3 different kinds of stripper on and nothing has taken it off. I need to rent one of these sanders.

[@lnsdetailingmechanical5440]

Job well done 👌👌

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks!

[@sophiepoint6270]

You are my hero!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Aw, thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my channel. Thanks for watching.

[@Bigdog1787]

The orange I call brownish red which is a normal color and think it looks nice. Still nice to learn how to sand a full deck😊

[@dennishinkle5010]

When i refinished my porch I used 2 coats of stain also. The bards were so dry that I eventually had to put on a third coat and it worked. Another great video as always.❤️

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks for sharing and for watching.

[@thewaterballoonist]

I literally did this yesterday.

[@Emma_Willow_Makila]

Sweet video!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@dedodododedadada6943]

Using a sander to prepare a wood surface for refinishing. You don’t get much more unorthodox than that!😮

[@gBayCanada]

Using a floor standard is very common in Canada, where the winters take their toll on decks. I'm a DYI'er and use a square-sheet floor sander on my decks and get great results. Thanks for sharing.

[@dluuc]

"and use a square-sheet floor sander "- this is a good tip! worthwhile- Recommend!

[@simpletonballsack]

@@dluuc They get some paint off and flatten some peaks but don't sand back to clean wood. Drum sander is next to it at the hire shop. Use that.

[@dluuc]

@@simpletonballsack this is what I plan to do next week. With drum sander. In my particular project, the deck is very uneven.

[@dcnelsons]

Awesome! you rock.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks!

[@claytonbeebe3045]

So mad!! My “big box store” only had the flat floor sander, but a drum would have been WAY better! Also… I feel like ANY kind of stain ALWAYS PEELS. So this time, we just used tung oil. We think it looks great, but curious if anyone knows why it would be a bad idea? Have to do our back deck next spring!

[@stanharder2722]

Looks great April! Can you provide the exact stain you used please? Color/brand

[@TheRich4187]

I want to do the same thing to my deck, but don't wanna break my back on it. And after seeing your workout....maybe I'll wait another year. Lol Nice work!

[@whitesideboboify]

😂

[@velray1231]

NICE 👍

[@cassantos1319]

It's getting great!😊👏👏👏👏🌷😘

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you!

[@bestescapes]

I love how that puppy is trying to understand why you are trying to get his/her favorite smell off the desk. Samone is trying to get a few more sniffs before it is all gone

[@Wavecruzer79]

April, thoughts on the deck board direction? I’ve heard a lot that the boards should be vertical fr the house to take the water out and avoid cupping. Your friends deck was correct from what I’ve been told.

[@adamdejesus4017]

Sander does great for removing previous stain, but might not work for decks covered in outdoor latex paint. I refinished all 5 decks on my house this last spring. A test with a handheld belt sander proved that sandpaper wouldn't work on paint.. An angle grinder and DIAMABRUSH head did the trick!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@philipchandler330]

Excellent

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks!

[@pqrstsma2011]

8:21 April, dog, background scenery.... 🤍🤍🤍🤍

[@michaelmaker8169]

Wow that was an awesome idea 👍. Unorthodox? Hey it worked. They could do another pass with the sander with same grit just quicker run or finer grit. All preference.

[@ryanedge7732]

This is helpful

[@AprilWilkerson]

Great! Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@lanamolczyk5139]

Love the new color. Did you sand and stain the posts? Will you install a new railing?

[@Emma_Willow_Makila]

Pretty Baddass!!

[@jabmalassie]

You are great!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.

[@curtfatherree7474]

Interesting way to get old finish off a deck, and as long as the boards are structurally sound it should be several years before you need to do anything else with it. Speaking of which...any thoughts on whether you might (at some point) replace those deck boards with the same stuff you used for the floating tree house (or whatever you call it) at your commercial shop? Kinda curious though, about the way you put down some stain, then walked on it to apply more. Doesn't that leave footprints in the stain, or does that stuff soak in so fast you don't have any problems walking on it while it's still wet?

[@jeeperguy4290]

This is exactly what I will be doing. I have some bad 2x6 boards to replace as well. I’m probably looking into a different railing system, like you. Great info on the sanding process. I have a brick red color and I want to stain it. Did they offer the sandpaper as well? How many did you go thru? What length screws did you use for your boards?

[@warriorethos9376]

same question...how many sheets?

[@CaptNoLikey]

Great job, April! I didn’t see what kind of stain you used in the description or the video itself? I did see the link you provided to Fix This Build That’s channel but he was using something different. The product you were using looked more oil based? We’ve redone our deck twice now with super deck waterborne exterior deck stain and it peels after about a year! Looking for a better alternative! Thx for your content.

[@cliff5240]

I would have fell off that thing 5 times! Looks great!

[@danburgoyne7611]

I have a 30 yr old, white cedar deck. It shows a lot of 'uneven' coloring from all the stains that I have used plus what nature has done to it. I have used a multitude of staining & stripping products, but every year I have to repeat the process again. I live in Canada so we experience a wide range of temps from -30 F to +100. Can you suggest a semi-transparent stain that will still show the beauty of the white cedar and maybe last more than a year... Dan

[@michelleallan96]

Good video. Nice view :)

[@you166mhz]

another great one ... :)

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my channel.

[@rockroosterfootwear7713]

Awesome video!! If you ever want to try our boots, let us know!!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you!

[@mikesvwcorrado]

when using semi transparent stain you should apply the stain all the way down a few boards at a time to keep a wet edge and avoid lap marks vs. a big chunk of all the boards at once.

[@jorannimiro]

Maam your so funny🤣 Thanks for the tip.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks for watching.

[@peteryelverton2954]

Which cedar brown stain did you use? I used Sherwin Williams Cedar Bark semi-transparent stain, and it turned out a little more red/orange than I wanted.

[@chakireladraoui9331]

Good

[@destravlr]

Stain doesn't last in hot climate sun (Redding, CA). Paint has worked much better. It still lasts only so long and must be maintained and repainted periodically. And, I commend you on your clear, straightforward explantation of what you did, and why. You jumped right into your work without the too-common selfie introduction.

[@jacobfunk1580]

I worked in flooring for a few years every so often we would sand down a deck the last one i did was hey beautiful mahogany deck

[@AprilWilkerson]

I bet that was beautiful! Thanks for sharing.