This is what we did:

1. Make repairs. In our case, there were a lot of supports in the deck that had rotted out and needed some new supports put in place. We pulled up old boards, removed nails, installed new supports, and put them back in place with deck screws. Starbit screws are my favorite. Remove any loose nails or screws, and replace with some new screws.
2. Power Wash the wood. Using a 3,000 psi or higher pressure washer will do the job. Place the pressure washer 1-2 inches from the wood to get the best results. Start in a corner, and work your way, one plank at a theme, washing with the grain. Try not to go against the grain. This is the power washer we used. This step may take hours, or days, but it’s definitely the best method.
3. Let the wood dry completely. This should take a few days, or a week at the most outside, in dry conditions. We had an unusual amount of rainfall during this project, and we are also weekend warriors, so we gave it a week to dry.
4. Stain the Wood. We used a paint roller for the large areas, and paint brushes to get the perimeter. Make sure you apply the stain heavily. Watch how the wood soaks it up. If it’s dry within a few seconds, that’s not enough. Your wood needs to drink in that stain until it’s satiated! This will help protect the wood for a longer period of time. (5 years vs. 3 years.) One issue we had with the paint roller, was not getting stain in between the cracks, so we had to come back with a paint brush to get the inside edges.
5. Let the stain dry for at least 4 hours. If you are fighting some rainfall in your location, try to plan for 4 hours of dry time.

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments.

With Love, Erika Nora