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.
