Homeowner answers
Restoration & Refinishing
Bringing weathered wood back: doors, decks, pergolas, fences and teak furniture.
30 answers, newest first RSS feed
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How do I keep my newly refinished front door looking new?
A refinished wood door stays new looking with small habits rather than big projects. Wipe salt and dust off the face every few weeks with a damp cloth, keep…
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What sandpaper grits should be used when refinishing exterior wood?
Exterior wood is sanded coarser than furniture. Start at 60 or 80 grit to remove failed finish and raised grain, move to 100 or 120 to smooth, and stop there…
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Which side of my house is hardest on wood finishes, south or west?
West is the hardest side on exterior wood near the coast, with south close behind. A west wall takes the full afternoon sun when the air is hottest and the…
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How are exterior wood shutters refinished, and is it worth doing near the coast?
Exterior wood shutters are refinished by taking them down, repairing loose louvers and rotted bottom rails, stripping or sanding the failed finish, priming…
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My wood gate has gone gray and started to sag. Can it be refinished, or does it need to be replaced?
Most gray gates can be refinished, but the sag has to be fixed first or the finish is wasted. A gate sags because its joints have loosened or the hinge post…
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How is peeling exterior wood trim and fascia refinished properly?
Peeling trim and fascia are refinished by finding out why the paint failed, then rebuilding the whole system: scrape and sand the loose coating, probe every…
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When is it dry enough to stain or seal wood in Carlsbad with the marine layer?
In Carlsbad the window is usually late morning to mid-afternoon on a day when the marine layer has burned off, the wood reads dry on a moisture meter, and the…
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How do you match the stain on new boards to the old wood when repairing a deck or fence?
Matching new wood to old starts with preparing the old wood, not tinting the new. Weathered boards have lost their extractives and have an open surface; fresh…
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Why are there black streaks around the nails on my deck and fence, and how do I remove them?
Those black streaks are almost always an iron stain, not rot. Water carries a trace of iron from a corroding nail or screw, or from steel tools and sanding…
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Which exterior wood finishes do not hold up near the ocean?
Near the ocean, the finishes that fail fastest are interior-grade polyurethane, clear film finishes with no UV blockers, thin clear "sealers" that are mostly…
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Do I need a permit to refinish or repair my deck in Carlsbad?
Refinishing is cosmetic work and does not require a building permit: cleaning, staining, sealing and painting an existing deck are maintenance. Like-for-like…
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What is a good year-round maintenance schedule for exterior wood in North County?
Think in seasons, not dates. Late winter: inspect everything after the rains, probe for soft wood, clear debris and gaps. Spring, once the marine layer lifts…
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Why is my deck stain peeling, and how do I stop it from happening again?
Deck stain peels for one of three reasons: the product forms a film and films on horizontal wood eventually lift; the wood was dirty, damp or had old finish on…
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How long do exterior wood finishes last near the coast in San Diego?
Shorter than the can says. Within a few miles of the ocean, salt air, daily wet-dry cycles from the marine layer and strong UV wear finishes faster than…
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My house was built before 1978. What do I need to know about lead paint before refinishing wood?
Assume any painted wood on a pre-1978 home may contain lead until it is tested. Sanding, scraping or heat-stripping lead paint creates dust that is hazardous…
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What stain color and sheen work best for wood on a stucco house?
Warm medium tones work best against stucco: honey, cedar, chestnut and walnut browns pick up the warmth in most stucco colors and hide dust between cleanings…
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When is refinishing exterior wood not worth it?
Refinishing is not worth it when the wood underneath has failed. Soft spots from rot, splits that go through the board, fasteners that no longer hold, members…
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My wood fence has gone gray. Can it be refinished, or does it need replacing?
A gray fence can usually be refinished if the posts are solid. Gray is just weathered surface; posts rotted at the ground line are the real end of a fence…
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Can composite decking be refinished or stained?
Modern capped composite decking cannot be refinished or stained. The outer shell is a plastic layer that nothing bonds to reliably, and sanding it off destroys…
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Why does my teak furniture get black spots near the coast, and how do I fix them?
The black spots are mildew, and sometimes iron stains, and they are common on teak within a few miles of the ocean because the marine layer keeps furniture…
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Does teak furniture need teak oil?
No. Teak oil is one of the most misunderstood products in outdoor furniture care. It is not oil from teak trees; it is usually linseed or tung oil thinned with…
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Should I seal my teak furniture or let it turn silver gray?
Both are legitimate. Bare teak weathers to an even silver gray, needs only an occasional cleaning, and lasts for decades because the wood's own oils and…
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How do I clean teak outdoor furniture without damaging it?
Clean teak with a mild solution of a teak-safe cleaner or a little dish soap in warm water, a soft brush and a hose rinse, working with the grain. For gray…
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Can a wood pergola be refinished in place without taking it down?
Yes. Almost every pergola is refinished where it stands. The work is done from ladders and a plank or small scaffold, and the key is inspecting it first: post…
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Should I pressure wash my deck, or use a cleaner and brightener?
Use a cleaner and brightener, and keep the pressure washer on its gentlest setting or leave it in the garage. A sodium percarbonate cleaner lifts gray fibers…
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How often should a west-facing wood front door be recoated in Carlsbad?
Plan on a light maintenance coat of varnish about once a year on a west-facing door with little overhang, and every two to three years if the door is shaded by…
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How is a wood front door refinished?
A proper front door refinish means taking the door back to bare wood, not just recoating. We remove the hardware, strip or sand off the failed finish, sand…
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Should I stain or paint the exterior wood on my house in North County?
Stain if the wood is in good shape and you want to see the grain; paint if the wood is rough, patched or already painted. Semi-transparent oil stains are the…
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Penetrating oil or film-forming finish: which is better for exterior wood in San Diego?
For horizontal surfaces like deck boards, stair treads and pergola tops, a penetrating oil finish is usually the better choice. It soaks into the wood, wears…
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Can a gray, weathered deck be restored, or does it need to be replaced?
Most gray decks can be restored. The gray is a thin layer of sun-damaged surface fibers, not deep decay. If the boards are solid when you probe them with a…
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