This post was updated on January 18, 2023
How To Sand Your Wood Deck 2023
We appreciate your input here at Deckstainhelp.com as we continue to be your go-to source for the latest in deck restoration news and trending topics through 2023. See below for an article about How To Sand Your Wood Deck.
Feel free to leave a comment or ask questions below.
How to correctly sand your deck before staining
Hot To Sand a Wood Deck
If you’re fed up with looking out at your peeling, dull, grey, sun-beaten deck then it’s time to think about re-staining the boards. As every DIYer knows – this begins with the correct surface preparation.
Step 1: Power washing
Before you start the sanding process, begin by power washing the surface of your deck. Using a deck stain stripper will help to remove old coatings.
Remember, softer woods like cedar may require a less powerful stream of water. If you are using a pressure washer, then make sure to keep it on a lower setting and hold it a little further away so as not to raise the chips and cause splinters.
After pressure washing, leave the deck to dry for up to two days, depending on the local climate.
Step 2: Choosing the correct sanding tools
Sanding removes any raised wood fibers from power washing and opens the pores of the wood to assist in soaking in the stain or sealer.
It is important to use the correct sanding grit on your deck. The recommended sanding grit is 60 to 80. This is because a higher grit could make the deck too smooth, and will close down the pores of the wood. Closed pores make it more difficult for the stain to be absorbed and could lead to premature stain failure.
Use a hand sander or belt sander. To remove a solid deck stain or paint, you may need a floor drum sander.
Start with 60 grit paper and finish with 80 grit. Make sure to sand all wood evenly.
Step 3: Final Prep
After sanding, it is suggested to lightly clean and brighten the wood. This will help open the wood grain so the stain can dive even deeper into the wood. Better penetration = better stain performance!
With the right equipment and a fair dose of effort, you should be able to restore your deck and enhance the beauty of the wood.
Deck Stain Help & Questions
Stain Reviews & Comparisons
As an article and comment contributor to the site, Scott has been around the pressure washing industry since attending college. In 1993 he started his first company called Oakland Pressure Wash specializing in exterior pressure washing and deck staining. That company evolved into OPW L.L.C. shortly thereafter concentrating more on exterior wood and deck restoration. Scott and his Deck Cleaning Michigan company have restored over 10,000 decks in the Metro Detroit area since the early years. He has become an authority in the deck restoration industry and has contributed to numerous wood restoration forums and informative sites.
All the products he suggests through this site are sold through online sites and in retail stores, allowing the consumer to choose their own means of purchase. Scott’s eCommerce sites do sell many top brands he endorses and if you appreciate any of the help he has offered then feel free to purchase from one of them.
Hello, I accidentally power washed way too aggressively for about 1/3 of my deck last season and had planned on doing deck RAD Stripper (unknown stain in past), then RAD brightener. Because of the aggressive power washing I am going to sand-prep-stain etc. I want to confirm that the correct order is: Lightly power wash, apply deck cleaner, lightly power wash (to rinse off cleaner). Then sand, then brighten, then stain. I am using all RAD products and doing one of their semi-transparent stains. I’ve been meaning to clean/re-stain this deck for 3 seasons and somehow always get up against fall and run out of time (hopefully not this year!). Part of that is either not having the right kind of product on hand The other struggle is that it seems like I need 7 days off work of consistent but indirect sunshine to do everything and that’s hard to line up. My questions are as follows: 1) Did I get the order of application correct (Lightly power wash, apply deck cleaner, lightly power wash (to rinse off cleaner). Then sand, then brighten, then stain) 2) It seems to say on these forums to use between 60-80grit sandpaper (one or other) but also in at least one post it says start with 60 grit, then finish with 80. Do you really have to do both, or is it an either or thing? My deck is quite dirty, but it’s HUGE (25-35 ft by 14ft plus railings) and takes forever to sand with a small sander so if I can do it with just 80, I’d prefer to do that. The number one thing I want to ensure is that I DON’T have to do this again in a year though lol. 3) Sanding- I’ve dried using an large commercial rotating sander with cleaning pads and my deck absolutely chewed through the pads). I’ve tried using a 3″ belt sander (maybe I have the wrong one) and it doesn’t sand quite evenly because boards aren’t perfectly level. It also seems that the belt sander leaves visibly different results than a 5-6″ orbital sander. T I’ve read some online articles that say to rent a machine for the 60grit pass, then follow up with 80 grit orbital sander. Another article says only to use small belt sander or orbital as the large machines don’t work. What is the best equipment to use? 4) Sanding the sides of each deck piece- My deck has a lot of green mildew on sides between each set of boards. Has anyone figured out a good way to sand these? I assume at minimum there is a hand-operated spongy sand paper of some sort that I can move back and forth to get it? Hoping there is something more efficient because it’s not going to look good without it. 5) What steps are ruined by rain? For example, assuming I only have to sand once (with 80 grit), if I sand the entire deck and then it… Read more »
1. You pressure wash off the cleaner, not just rinse. Otherwise, the steps are correct.
2. You can use either or, you do not have to use both grits.
3. We like belt sanders or even drum sanders if needed.
4. No, not possible to sand the sides of a deck board.
5. Rain will not harm your prep or sanding.
6. Cracks are normal for deck boards. They cannot be prevented and are of no concern. Never use wood filler, it will not stain to blend.
Sorry for the bother again just want to make absolutely sure h don’t screw this up:
The directions for RAD cleaner says to clean in small section, rinse, and then use brightener “immediately after cleaning while the wood is still wet”. I know I need to clean, then rinse before applying brightener but in post above you said to clean, then sand, then brighten.
I guess I’m confused on if the brightener is more important after sanding or after cleaner or is it whichever is later? The reason I ask is because Wayne in post below me says he is sanding then cleaning and brighten. I thought the steps were Power wash, cleaner, Power wash, sand, brightener but the product itself seems to say otherwise.
Unfortunate I don’t have the sander and won’t get it until tomorrow evening and then be sanding and staining Monday (assuming no rain within 12 hrs).
Most people do not bother sanding but if you ware sanding, then you would brighten after to help remove sand dust and open the wood pores. Do not sand finer than 60-80 grit.
Okay. Well perhaps I’ll try it without sanding. I’m considering just trying the cleaner, rinse well and let dry and seeing if it needs sanding afterward before applying brightener. Might be 1-3 days before brightening. 1) Would that be okay?
2) if #1 is a good plan, I figure I’ll check to see if it has either a ton of fuzzies afterward or if the section that my dad power-washed too aggressively stands out and looks different from other sections. Anything else I should look out for?
1. Should be fine.
2. Not really.
You are over thinking much of this. It is not that complicated. 🙂
(Hopefully last question): do you think I need to use the deck stripper on the vertical portions of the railings? I power wash the deck and all sides of the railings and vertical portions last night. The deck is still drying out but the vertical portions are much darker than the horizontal portions… The stain was applied at least 4 to 5 years ago. If you do recommend using the stripper which I have on hand, should I apply stripper to vertical portion of railings first and then do the deck cleaning?
Yes, you could do this since you have a small amount of stain one the verticals still.
Lots of good information here. Just want to confirm I understand the process correctly. I am almost finished sanding away the previous stain/sealer product (Behr) from my 7 year old cedar deck with 80 grit. Once I have completed the sanding do I need to wait for any period of time to weather the wood before cleaning/brightening and staining? Is it ok to do these steps following sanding or will I need to wait 3+ months?
1) Finish sanding
2) Clean & Brighten
3) Wait 48 hours
4) Stain
Thanks in advance!
Your steps are correct and you can clean and brighen whenever you are done with sanding. Just one coat of semi-transparent stain for sanded wood.
Great article. I am going to follow the steps outlined for my front porch which is EXTREMLY heavy with traffic. After only a couple months scuffs and scratches have made it look awful. I used a teakwood color from Sherwin Williams. Do you recommend a specific stain to withstand heavy traffic since good old Sherwin products only held up about 2 months?
All stains will wear over time from heavy traffic and none are immune to this. Best to use a penetrating stain that will wear less and recoating is easier: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
I stained my cedar deck recently and ended up with shiny spots I used twp 1500 cleaned and brightened first only 1 coat if I wait 1yr can I use there stripper to remove and begin the process again or do I need to sand it all down. Thanks for any help
TWP is easy to strip, you do not have to sand it off.
I have a 830 sq ft redwood deck that is mostly covered. It was possibly treated with a semi solid stain that took over a month to dry 10 years ago. Now it is peeling and worn. I live in the high desert of Arizona. Can you tell me the best was to prep and stain and what products to use for this environment? I think I would prefer oil based that would dry.
We would need to see pictures uploaded in the comments for any prep help.
Here are a couple of pictures of my poor deck. Thanks, Patricia Hamel
You will have to power sand if you want to remove it and use an oil-based stain. You cannot strip it off and you cannot apply over it with an oil-based stain.
Thanks so much for your information. I kind of thought that would be the case. I guess I’ll rent a drum sander. How can I get between the boards?
Not possible to sand between boards, sorry.
Hi, good article on sanding. My deck is 3 years old. Treated Pine. Mill glaze and fuzzies and UV damage on some boards. questions: Is this the process? 1) Cleaner. 2) Brightener. 3) After wood dries from brightner, sand using 60-to-80 grit sand paper to remove mill glaze/fuzzies 4) Then stain? OR DO YOU SAND OFF MILL GLAZE AFTER WOOD DRIES FROM CLEANER AND BEFORE APPLYING BRIGHTNER? Just trying to determine what brings out the fuzziers-cleaner or brightner.
If you need to sand, then do it after cleaning, before the brightener.
Thank you One final question-if I determine that I cannot do a second coat of TWP 100 semi transparent oil stain per the directions, and must wait for another year to do a second coat (I know, will have to apply cleaner and brighter again for a second coat in a year), HOW LONG WILL MY OPENED CAN OF TWP 100 LAST to apply in a year, provided I seal the can up good?
You always have to properly prep when reapplying. See here TWP about shelf life: https://www.twpstainhelp.com/shelf-life-of-twp/
Good afternoon, I’m hoping someone can help me. I recently moved into a house with a deck that my wife don’t care for the color. She wants to go more natural color stain. After reviewing some comments on the website I think I’ll need to sand off the old finish is a solid stain. I posted pictures of the containers that were left my precious owners.
So I guess my question is what are the correct steps to going about this project.
Power sand to remove and then clean and brighten the wood for final prep. Use a penetrating stain after:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
I have a pressure treated deck that’s a few years old. I have used a Behr deck cleaner, pressure washed, used a 50/50 bleach and water to brighten and further clean and pressure washed again on all horizontal deck boards and hand rails. All vertical posts I just pressure washed. I did all this before finding your website. I would like to use the RAD stain. Do I need to start all over with prep work using cleaner and brightener for RAD before staining or can I just go ahead and stain all these surfaces?
Probably need to redo the prep but it should be easy. Bleach is not a brightener and may have adverse reactions with certain stains.
Hello There. We have a one year old cedar deck (approx 750 sq feet) around our in ground pool Recently we hired someone to stain the deck. Prior to staining the deck was pressure washed several weeks ahead of time. Arbor coat oil based translucent natural stain was used. It was done on a hot day and we noticed after that the stain did not take evenly with obvious darker and lighter areas and bubble up in many areas (most boards). What is the best solution to fix this? Or so we leave it alone, let it fade and Re-do in another year or too? Thank you.
You cannot spot fix this. Just strip and redo in 1-2 years.
Thank you.
I used deck cleaner to prepare for staining and it made a horrible blotchy mess over the whole thing. The deck was built last summer with pressure-treated lumber and left to dry until this year. I used Olympic deck wash and rinsed it after 10 min. What did I do wrong? It’s too dark out now for picks but is there any way to fix this? Have I ruined my deck? I’ve seen a few posts about this product but no fixes.
Post pictures here in comment area.
We posted pics a few weeks ago with peeling Behr product from last spring on a 7 yr old deck. We stripped and power washed and then had to sand as it did not remove all of the old semi transparent stain. I just finished sanding with 60 grit and am ready to brighten with the Restore a deck brightener and then stain with restore a deck stain. I’ved looked over the website and can’t find a clear answer… can I brighten and stain right after sanding? Restore a deck suggests letting the wood weather. You guys seem to say we don’t need to do that.
2nd. one of your videos says you can stain while damp after brightening. Is that true as well for after sanding and brightening?
Thank you!
You should be able to brighten and stain on the same day if you want. Make sure to rinse the brightener well so there is not any reaction and only 1 coat of the RAD stain is suggested for sanded wood.
thank you!!!
I stained with RAD semi transparent with their brush they sell. It has been several days and there are tacky spots. Incredibly frustrating after the hours spent prepping. There are some shiny spots so i guess it is an absorbing issue. I’m not doing anything else with it now but next spring…will I need to strip and brighten or just clean and brighten do you think?
That would happen due to over application. It will cure in time. Probably just clean and brighten next year.
Hello. We are working on restoring a redwood deck that is about 20 years old. We tested some stain on the floorboards and it looked much worse than a smoother area that was covered by a hot tub. We are wondering if they need to be sanded again (we sanded the boards already but it was in rough shape). We also stripped and cleaned the wood prior to sanding. Any help/advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
You will net get the old exposed wood to match the wood that was covered by the hot tub. It will be much darker in the exposed wood area since the wood is so much more absorbent and dried out.
Hi, Thank you for this resource, I wish I would have found it a couple years ago.
We moved into our house 3 years ago, so I am not sure how long before that the previous owners stained the deck. It was in decent shape and really showed the great cedar color.
It started to show wear a year later we hired a referral from a friend to come power wash and restain it. They said they could not get the old stain off and we needed to use a solid stain, they only used a power washer and not a stripper and we didn’t know any better to ask. So we went to Home Depot and bought the Behr Premium Solid Color stain and sealer, they applied it to the deck and within a few months our chairs for our table had started to remove the stain and within a year most of the deck, even non-high traffic areas were peeling.
I am now in the process of power washing and sanding the deck to try to get it back to the shape it was in when we moved in. I bought the Behr stripper and cleaner but from reading other posts I will be returning that to Home Depot this week.
I have a belt sander and a random orbit stander with 80 grit paper that has been working pretty well on the top but the in between the solid stain is still there.
The one question I had on sanding the deck is how do you get between the boards efficiently and is it even worth it?
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!
It is not possible to sand the edges between the boards. If you cannot get it off, it will show through if you use a semi-transparent stain which means you will have to use a solid color deck stain again, just do not use the Behr or any products from big box stores.
I just had someone build me a deck with eastern red cedar from a local mill. What type of sander should I use. I will have to purchase one but don’t want to spend a lot.
No need to sand but you need to weather and prep this deck before staining:
https://www.deckstainhelp.com/how-long-should-you-wait-to-stain-a-new-deck/
Hello, I am so glad I found this website. We need some serious help with our deck!
We live on the north coast of Oregon. Our deck sees rain, direct sun, ice and occasionally snow in the winter. The deck was built in 2015 and is made of cedar.
My husband and I used Restore A Deck stripper (to remove last summer’s oil based clear coat) and brightener. He washed the deck with the pressure washer too. We let it dry for three days and then applied Outdoor Defense Oil (which is made from tung & pine oils and zinc).
Now we have a TERRIBLE case of the furries! It looks awful. See attached photos. We are wondering what our next steps should be.
Thank you in advance!
We appreciate any suggestions!
Strip and brighten again and then lightly sand to remove the fuzzies: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/wood-fuzzies-furring-on-deck/
Thank you for your comments. Question: Strip and brighten again? What will that do to resolve the fuzzy stuff?
We were thinking to brush the deck with a stiff bristle brush then use a blower to remove all loose material and then apply another coat of oil.
You have to remove the stain first to sand to fix the fuzzies. What you want to do will probably not work and will lead to uneven application.
Is it always necessary to sand the deck after it’s been pressure washed with a deck cleaning? Or can I just move onto using a deck brightener right after cleaning it?
No, you do not have to sand the deck.
Is the process of sanding only necessary when you need to remove an old solid stain/old paint?
Typically yes or if needed to remove splinters, etc.
I have a 5 year old cedar deck. I just used Defy Extreme Stripper followed by Defy Brightener. After brightening, the deck developed a case of the fuzzies/furries. I am going to lightly hand sand with 80 grit to get rid of the wood beard, followed by rinsing the deck with a garden hose. Do I have to brighten again prior to applying the Defy Extreme Semi-Transparent stain? Thanks for your help.
Probably is needed.
I have the same situation as above. I used the stain remover, the brightener, power washed, then sanded with 80 grit. I guess I need to use the brightener again. So it’s okay to just rinse with the garden hose before brightening again?
Yes.
Hello and thank you for the vast amount of information found on your website. I’m about to take on a staining project for a 8 year old deck that has been previously stained with Olympic semi-transparent (water-based acrylic oil hybrid) about 4 or 5 years ago with no real maintenance ever since. We want to completely remove the Olympic stain to apply a better stain. After gathering all the information found on your website I think we have our plan:
1) Strip the deck to help remove some of the previous stain
2) After drying for 48 hrs, sand the deck with 60-80 grit.
3) Wash the deck with deck cleaner
4) Brighten the deck with wood brightener
5) After drying for 48hrs, stain using TWP or Armstrong stain.
Can you confirm if these are all the steps required and in the right order to achieve optimal results? Are they all required in our case (eg: stripping AND sanding? or just 1 of the 2? )? We don’t mind doing all the work, we’re only looking to achieve best results as possible. I have added a picture to show the current state of the deck. Thanks in advance for the help.
All your steps are correct.
Thank you so much!
Follow up question. Is any additional prep required if it rains after sanding/cleaning/brightening but prior to staining? I’m seeing some opposite stances on this on the internet and among the people I asked. If it rains after sanding/cleaning/brightening, do I need to restart any steps or just let the deck dry thoroughly before moving on to staining?
The rain has no effect to the prep, just let it dry.
How did everything turn out following these steps?
Our deck is 5 years old and was never maintained. We sanded with 40 and went over with 80 not realizing we should have cleaned first. Do we still need to clean?
Also the vertical skirts were not sanded. Can we get away without sanding them?
Clean and brighten for final prep. No need to sand the skirts.
I have two questions.
First, I’m from Canada and our temperatures are very cold in winter ( with plenty of snow). My deck is exposed to all the elements. Does it help preserve the finish / stain to tarp the deck for the winter.
Second, my deck is cedar and only a few years old. I need to sand it because I was too aggressive with a power washer. Do you recommend a grit to avoid over sanding
Thanks
1. No, not really.
2. 60-80.
Hi we have cedar deck live in Midwest. We have stripped and sanded old stain of 3 years. I know the next step would be brighten and stain. This is covered porch steps are out in open. Now running into fall worried about leaves falling and staining. Should we wait until spring to stain (I know will have to clean and brighten before stain. ) Or should we give one coat now second light coat in spring. If so can we use cleaner on again for leaf stains before second coat. Going to be using twp 1500 Thanks
Coat it now and add another light coat next year if needed. Leaves falling on the TWP will not stick to the stain. Lightly wash next year.
Thanks for you quick response, when we lightly wash it next year what should we use to wash it with thanks
Hi thanks for response, if we lightly wash next year what cleaner do we wash with and do we just use hose or power washer thank you
Use a deck cleaner and then lightly pressure wash off.
How long after brightening should you wait to stain?
Depends on the brand of stain but 48 hours is normal.
Don’t have time to order Cleaner and Brightener. My husband is almost done with the sanding. We got Restore a deck stain. Should have ordered the cleaner and brightener. Is there anything I can get at Lowe’s or Home Depot that will do the trick. I live in the Seattle area
Nope, nothing decent at big box stores. Try a local paint store. They will have better products.
How is it the big box stores have nothing decent? Thompson’s and Cabot’s get high reviews and local contractors suggest them. All the people I know use their products, what’s wrong with them?
I’m new to deck maintenance and am reading a lot trying to decide what’s best do.
The peel, do not last, and have very bad reviews from consumers here and on other websites. No, they are not any decent brands at big box store.
Had to replace 3 redwood deck boards. Sanded them. Can’t wait for them to age. Any suggestions? Should I just put one coat of Defy Extreme stain on the new redwood boards or go ahead and put two coats on? The deck is 5 years old and I have sanded it down completely and will put Defy Wood Cleaner followed by Defy Wood Brightener. How many coats on the 3 new boards. Thanks for all your info. It is very helpful.
Since it is only three boards, clean and brighten and do one coat on all. Next year you will need to clean and redo a light coat to all. After that, you should be okay for a couple of years.
Is it a good idea to use a rotating surface cleaner attachment on my pressure washer?
No, not for wood.
Hey there – My wife and I purchased a home last year and it looks like the owners just slapped on a coat of Arborcoat without prepping the deck. As you can imagine, there are spots of the deck where I can literally peel off 4 ft pieces of paint. How should I go about stripping this and what product would you recommend I put down after? FYI I think the deck is quite old based on the look of the wood underneath. Thanks!
The BM Arborcoat cannot be stripped. You will have to sand this to remove. Clean and brighten when done for the final prep. Stain with these: https://www.deckstainhelp.com/the-5-best-deck-stain-reviews-and-ratings/
Hi! I am a little confused. I bought the RAD cleaner/brightener kit for my old weathered deck. Do I pressure wash, then sand, then use the RAD? Or, do I sand, then apply the cleaner, then pressure wash it off? Or must I pressure wash twice?
If you sand, pressure wash first with the deck cleaner. Let dry and lightly sand. Brighten all after and rinse well with water.
Hello! I stripped my cedar deck and now have been sanding it but started with 120 grit before I saw your article. I am continuing with 80 grit now. Should I quickly revisit the areas that had the 120 so things are even? Or just leave it and continue with the 80? Thanks!
Do it all in 80 so it stains evenly.
Hi! I’ve read several places that say to sand right before staining, and that if it rains after you sand, you need to restart. Is that really true? I’ve power washed my deck, and I’m trying to decide if I should sand next, then clean/brighten…or the reverse. Great site BTW!
If you sand and only if needed, you would prep after with a deck cleaner and a wood brightener. Rain has not affect on the prep besides just wating for the wood to dry.
Awesome, thanks!
“Help” I sanded my cedar deck but I’m still seeing some grey spots it seems impossible to sand out. Also it is going to rain tomorrow should I wait to put the Gemini cleaner and brighter until after it rains? See pictures below
The gray looks like old stain that will need to be sanded or stripped off.
Got it all off thanks. And as for the Gemini cleaner and brightner would you put it on now or the day after it rains?
Ok thanks got it it all off! Would you recommend the Gemini cleaner and brighter now or after it rain?
Now will work.
Gemini cleaner and bringhter process done. It’s going to rain tomorrow how long should I wait before staining with twp 100
48 hours after the rain stops.
I never got a chance to put the Gemini cleaner and brightner on my Sanded cedar deck before it started to rain is it ok to put it on when it stops raining? I hope it didn’t ruin all my prep work
You will be fine. Rain will not harm anything.