Go From an Old Deck to New in 4 Steps

By: Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk (Page 1 of 7)

AFTER: Most decks can be rejuvenated for a lot less than the cost of replacement.

BEFORE: The damage and the appearance were bad enough for the Johnsons to consider ripping the whole thing up and starting over.

Used a pry bar to pull damaged boards. Remove fasteners and lift the board straight up to avoid damaging adjacent boards.

If you need to rip replacement decking to match existing boards, use a tablesaw. Ease the sawn edge using a router fitted with a 3/8-in. roundover bit.

Trim the replacement boards with a circular saw. Using adjacent boards as a cutting guide is faster and more accurate than measuring.

A power washer is best for removing sun-damaged wood fibers and for tackling scrub-resistant stains.

Use a brush to work the cleaner into the wood fibers. The boards should be kept damp in order for the cleaning solution to work effectively.

Mesh filters (about $1 each) catch any particles that could wind up clogging the nozzle on the washer.

A sprayer quickly lays the stain on the wood. To avoid making lap marks, maintain a wet edge and finish only a few boards at a time.

Use a 2-in.-wide brush to take care of any drips, cut in around the finished posts and apply extra stain to exposed end grain. A wider brush can be used to work the stain into the wood in the field.

After cutting the end post flush with the deck using a reciprocating saw, remove the old railing in sections.

The hollow post in this system slides onto the 12-in.-high aluminum base. Shim the bottom of the base as necessary so the post is plumb.

After you attach the bottom rail and insert the composite 2x2s into their precut mortises, wiggle the balusters into the top handrail. Instead of using toenails, the Fiberon rail attaches to the post with self-locking flanges for a fastener-free finish.

Browse Images

Browse Decks, Patio, Porches Galleries:

View All

How-To Video

Browse More

How to Attach a Deck to a House

In this how-to video, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva gets all decked out

Watch The Video

On Newsstands Now

In the Magazine

Reinvent your rooms with color

What You'll Learn:

Barbara and Phil Johnson, of Mobile, Alabama, faced the same problems other deck owners do. Over the years, the elements as well as their kids and pets took a toll on their backyard deck. The damage and the appearance were bad enough for the Johnsons to consider ripping the whole thing up and starting over.

But before taking that drastic step, they spoke with Danny Lipford, owner and president of Lipford Construction in Mobile, for advice. According to Lipford, the Johnsons' deck was in better shape than many others. "This area of the country is tough on decks," he says. "I'm sometimes asked to replace pressure-treated decks that are less than eight years old." He adds, "Most of these decks are victims of neglect. With regular maintenance, a deck will easily last for twice as long." The good news is that most decks, like this one, can be rejuvenated for a lot less than the cost of replacement.

Following are some techniques you can use to give an old deck a new lease on life, or to help maintain the look of a new one. For this project, we enlisted George Graf, a lead carpenter with Mobile's Lipford Construction, and John Starling, owner of John the Painter. Hiring pros is easy on the schedule but hard on the budget -- the cost of repairing a 700-sq.-ft. deck is $700, or about $1 per square foot. Doing the work yourself will cost a third as much.

A project like this can be done in two days, but it's best to spread the work over two weekends to ensure the wood is completely dry before you apply stain.