Hot take: I used to think a simple pressure washer was enough for my deck, but after seeing the difference a proper orbital sander made on the 20-year-old wood in my Raleigh backyard, I'll never go back.

I mean, maybe it's just me but the pressure washer just blasted the old stain off and left the wood fuzzy, while the orbital sander I borrowed from my neighbor last week actually got it smooth enough to take the new sealant properly, so has anyone else had a tool completely change their approach to a basic cleanup job?

3 comments

3 Comments

violah431mo ago

My old deck looked brand new after I finally tried a belt sander.

victor7791mo ago

What grit sandpaper did you end up using on it? I've heard starting too coarse can leave some nasty scratches in the wood that are hard to get out.

rowan_thomas841mo ago

Depends on the wood's condition. If it's really rough, starting with 80 grit is fine as long as you work your way up through each grit properly. Skipping steps is what causes those deep scratches. I always go 80, 120, 180, then maybe 220 for a finish. The key is to sand evenly and check your work with a light between grits.