It does sound kind of odd but I can't guess much more sight unseen.
It might not even be treated wood after all. Is the structure under
the decking sound?

On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 21:06:16 -0500, Tony Lisanti
wrote:


I think its no more then 7 years old. What I don't understand is how
it got so bad. There isn't much sunlight in this area, as trees from
the cemetery shade this side of the house. I think it was cheap wood.
There was a little aluminum sign on the one side of the fence when I
moved in, and I tried to call the phone number. It's disconnected
now. I guess the company went under. I did start to sand the wood,
before I heard this type of wood was treated with arsenic. I don't
want to continue sanding knowing that now.



On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 22:30:07 -0500, John/Charleston
wrote:

On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 21:25:48 -0500, Tony Lisanti
wrote:


Mine are counter sunk too some appear to be screws, others appear to
be nails. I think the guy who did this must have been drunk or
something. The railing is put together so poorly its not funny. The
guy even posted a little metal sign on the fence. I tried to call it,
but he's our of business. Not surprising at all. Perhaps I should
post a picture or two on this disaster I have here?


On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 13:32:52 -0500, Bob G.
wrote:


I would pull out a small electric planer before I would take a sander
to the boards...just a lot faster...


yep its a lot faster untill you immediatly hit a nail. making it useless

====================
Sometimes I have to wonder IF I engaged my brain before I posted a
reply.... You of course are 100 percent correct...

My deck is held in place with deck screws that are countersunk BUT I
woild still have to be careful IF I took out the planer and went at it

I have to check the time stamp on my original message...I had to be
either still asleep or in bad need of going to bed....

Bob Griffiths

Any idea how old the deck is? It sounds like it has just been beat
to death by the sun. You could try flipping the boards as suggested,
but if that doesn't work think about just replacing the decking.
Note that modern treated wood is treated with copper and you'll have
to be careful to choose the right fasteners or they'll react to the
copper and corrode.

Sanding might be an option, but I don't think I'd want to sand
arsenic treated wood myself.