I'm cleaning my 10 x 12' cedar deck. Two years ago, I washed it with bleach. It
cleaned up fairly well. I stained it with one coat of Sikken Cedar stain. Now
the dark grey film has returned with a vengeance. There are trees coming right up
to the deck, and it gets the morning and midday sun (the deck faces east). With
my portable belt sander, I'm able to sand down to bare wood, but it's slow going.
After several hours, I've cleaned 1/3 of the deck. I looked at a large vibrating
sander (the size of a big buffer) at Home Depot to rent ($41.00 a day), but I'm
not sure if a vibrating sander, even though it's a big one, is going to cut through
that film very agressively.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
Scott in Minnesota

On Jun 10, 3:02*pm, Scott wrote:
I'm cleaning my 10 x 12' cedar deck. Two years ago, I washed it with bleach. It
cleaned up fairly well. I stained it with one coat of Sikken Cedar stain. *Now
the dark grey film has returned with a vengeance. There are trees coming right up
to the deck, and it gets the morning and midday sun (the deck faces east). With
my portable belt sander, I'm able to sand down to bare wood, but it's slow going.
After several hours, I've cleaned 1/3 of the deck. I looked at a large vibrating
sander (the size of a big buffer) at Home Depot to rent ($41.00 a day), but I'm
not sure if a vibrating sander, even though it's a big one, is going to cut through
that film very agressively.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
Scott in Minnesota

Use bleach to kill mold, wash it then use Oxcilic acid to clean it and
power wash it, or buy a cedar cleaner, I know Sherwin Williams is
Oxcilic acid.

"Scott" wrote in message
...
I'm cleaning my 10 x 12' cedar deck. Two years ago, I washed it with
bleach. It
cleaned up fairly well. I stained it with one coat of Sikken Cedar stain.
Now
the dark grey film has returned with a vengeance. There are trees coming
right up
to the deck, and it gets the morning and midday sun (the deck faces east).
With
my portable belt sander, I'm able to sand down to bare wood, but it's slow
going.
After several hours, I've cleaned 1/3 of the deck. I looked at a large
vibrating
sander (the size of a big buffer) at Home Depot to rent ($41.00 a day),
but I'm
not sure if a vibrating sander, even though it's a big one, is going to
cut through
that film very agressively.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
Scott in Minnesota

Hi Scott...I have a cedar deck and this year for the first time (after
using several cleaners etc for the past 5 or so years) I used my pressure
washer... it literally made my cedar jump back to the day I brought it home
from the store...so try a pressure washer.. Jimi

Jimi wrote:

"Scott" wrote in message
...
I'm cleaning my 10 x 12' cedar deck. Two years ago, I washed it with
bleach. It
cleaned up fairly well. I stained it with one coat of Sikken Cedar stain.
Now
the dark grey film has returned with a vengeance. There are trees coming
right up
to the deck, and it gets the morning and midday sun (the deck faces east).
With
my portable belt sander, I'm able to sand down to bare wood, but it's slow
going.
After several hours, I've cleaned 1/3 of the deck. I looked at a large
vibrating
sander (the size of a big buffer) at Home Depot to rent ($41.00 a day),
but I'm
not sure if a vibrating sander, even though it's a big one, is going to
cut through
that film very agressively.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
Scott in Minnesota

Hi Scott...I have a cedar deck and this year for the first time (after
using several cleaners etc for the past 5 or so years) I used my pressure
washer... it literally made my cedar jump back to the day I brought it home
from the store...so try a pressure washer.. Jimi

Jimi,

I bought a pretty good pressure washer last summer, and I tried a sample out on
my deck. In order to clean off the film, I had to hold it fairly close, and the
water started goinging the wood. I did however, us the pressure washer on my
front (treated wood) porch, and it did a great job. For the deck, I think I'll
try try a heavier duty belt sander and see how that works.

Scott

Scott wrote:

I'm cleaning my 10 x 12' cedar deck. Two years ago, I washed it with bleach. It
cleaned up fairly well. I stained it with one coat of Sikken Cedar stain. Now
the dark grey film has returned with a vengeance. There are trees coming right up
to the deck, and it gets the morning and midday sun (the deck faces east). With
my portable belt sander, I'm able to sand down to bare wood, but it's slow going.
After several hours, I've cleaned 1/3 of the deck. I looked at a large vibrating
sander (the size of a big buffer) at Home Depot to rent ($41.00 a day), but I'm
not sure if a vibrating sander, even though it's a big one, is going to cut through
that film very agressively.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
Scott in Minnesota

Update,

We've had above average rainfall this week. Even covering the cleaned part of the deck
with a plastic tarp, the wood still gets wet. I notice that after just 3 days, the part
of the deck that I sanded first seems to already have a new greyish film appearing. Is
this mold? If so, would it be a good plan to wash every newly sanded area with bleach
right away to keep it clean until I can stain the whole deck at once?

Thanks again!
Scott

Scott wrote:
I'm cleaning my 10 x 12' cedar deck. Two years ago, I washed it with bleach. It
cleaned up fairly well. I stained it with one coat of Sikken Cedar stain. Now
the dark grey film has returned with a vengeance. There are trees coming right up
to the deck, and it gets the morning and midday sun (the deck faces east). With
my portable belt sander, I'm able to sand down to bare wood, but it's slow going.
After several hours, I've cleaned 1/3 of the deck. I looked at a large vibrating
sander (the size of a big buffer) at Home Depot to rent ($41.00 a day), but I'm
not sure if a vibrating sander, even though it's a big one, is going to cut through
that film very agressively.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
Scott in Minnesota
Hi,
Good pressure washer will do the job.

"Tony Hwang" wrote in message
news:IxG4k.29777$gc5.10374@pd7urf2no...
Scott wrote:
I'm cleaning my 10 x 12' cedar deck. Two years ago, I washed it with
bleach. It cleaned up fairly well. I stained it with one coat of Sikken
Cedar stain. Now the dark grey film has returned with a vengeance. There
are trees coming right up
to the deck, and it gets the morning and midday sun (the deck faces
east). With my portable belt sander, I'm able to sand down to bare wood,
but it's slow going. After several hours, I've cleaned 1/3 of the deck. I
looked at a large vibrating sander (the size of a big buffer) at Home
Depot to rent ($41.00 a day), but I'm not sure if a vibrating sander,
even though it's a big one, is going to cut through that film very
agressively.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
Scott in Minnesota
Hi,
Good pressure washer will do the job.

a "good" pressure washer will make a cedar deck look as hairy as a wookie
from Star Wars.

Cedar is too delicate for pressure washing except at the very lowest
pressure seting and holding the wand far away from the wood. I have seen
people ruin a beautiful cedar deck with pressure washers. It sure got the
dirt off too.

Pressure washing works fine. Just do it at a low setting. 1800 PSI with a
fan spray works great on my cedar deck. You do have to do it every year to
keep it from getting away from you. My 10 x 12 deck takes about 3 hours to
clean and a day later, about 2 hours to coat with Thompsons water seal.
It;s just a yearly thing.

"Scott" wrote in message
...


Scott wrote:

I'm cleaning my 10 x 12' cedar deck. Two years ago, I washed it with
bleach. It
cleaned up fairly well. I stained it with one coat of Sikken Cedar stain.
Now
the dark grey film has returned with a vengeance. There are trees coming
right up
to the deck, and it gets the morning and midday sun (the deck faces
east). With
my portable belt sander, I'm able to sand down to bare wood, but it's
slow going.
After several hours, I've cleaned 1/3 of the deck. I looked at a large
vibrating
sander (the size of a big buffer) at Home Depot to rent ($41.00 a day),
but I'm
not sure if a vibrating sander, even though it's a big one, is going to
cut through
that film very agressively.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
Scott in Minnesota

Update,

We've had above average rainfall this week. Even covering the cleaned part
of the deck
with a plastic tarp, the wood still gets wet. I notice that after just 3
days, the part
of the deck that I sanded first seems to already have a new greyish film
appearing. Is
this mold? If so, would it be a good plan to wash every newly sanded area
with bleach
right away to keep it clean until I can stain the whole deck at once?

Thanks again!
Scott