How to Fix Stuff

[zoiDman]

I don’t have the actual square footage, but it’s a good 12 ft by 40-ish ft on the lower deck and narrower but longer on the upper balcony. No small task. We’d have to rent all but the shop-Vac.

My position is that it’s too big a job for not so young people with demanding full time jobs. I wanted to confirm here that it’s not an easy thing you can do in a weekend or two.

...

That's a Big Job. More of a take some Time Off from work type Project if you want it done Start to Finish Uninterrupted. LOL.

If you going to Re-Paint, and the Condition of the Deck is Fair to Good, Sanding would probable be the Best way to go. You can Rent something like a Belt Sander from Home Depot for like a 100 Bucks a Day. But for a Project that is going to Require more than One Day of Sanding, or where you might want to do 6 Hours here and 6 Hours there over a couple of Weekends, it will be Cheaper to just buy a Mid-Range Belt and Orbital Sander.

You really only do Chemical Stripping when you Need to get All the Way down to Bare Wood. Where you are afraid that a New Paint won't stick to the Old Paint/Surface. Or when you want to Stain and the Clear Coat.

Doing the Flat Deck portion Usually goes pretty fast. It's the Railings that will soak up a Lot of Time.

If you could bring in a Bunch of Friends/Neighbors and do a old style Barn Raising on it, doing 900 or so square feet of Deck might be doable? But for a Working Couple, just doing it on Weekends, that's going to be a Choir.

Something to consider would be Find Out what a Crew would charge you to just do the Prep? Then consider doing the Painting Yourself. Two People could Paint a 480 square foot Deck/Rails in 2 Days. Probably a Single Day if they kept the pedal down. The Prep is Always what takes the Time in these Projects.

 

[hittman]

I didn't know until about a week ago that you could get dusk to dawn LED bulbs. I was looking to put sensors on the outdoor lights and instead just ordered a pack of bulbs. Hopefully they work. I installed them last night.

 

[Bronze]

I didn't know until about a week ago that you could get dusk to dawn LED bulbs. I was looking to put sensors on the outdoor lights and instead just ordered a pack of bulbs. Hopefully they work. I installed them last night.

Link please.

 

[hittman]

Link please.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08LDNG9T2?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[Jwaterski]

On the deck refinish, I would seriously look at sanding and repainting with a good quality paint at this point. I don’t know how limited the choices of chemical stripper are in California, but I suspect you are going to have a difficult time finding any effective stripper. Will almost certainly be easier and more cost effective to scuff and repaint. And power washing is a good option, just mind pressure and angle, don’t dwell in any spot very long. You will have to wait for it to dry before repaint. Temp and humidity will determine how long that will take. Same with painting once the wood has dried, you will still want to make sure the temp and humidity are in range during the application and cure. Not a quick project no mater what you choose to do.

 

[Bronze]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08LDNG9T2?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Cool!

 

[LAwaters]

Thanks all for the deck refinish info. At this point, the DIY idea is off the table and a crew will be hired. Probably going with scuff and paint. And doing it all again in a few years. Would have been better if it had been stained and varnished, never painted. But we work with what we’ve got.

Reminds me of my first house with its walls covered by multiple layers of wallpaper. Some rooms had a layer of paint in there too. That took a lot of spraying and careful scraping. Thankfully the walls were plaster, not drywall.

Then in the 90’s people were soaking sponges or cloths in paint and rolling it on their walls for texture. All I could think was, “What happens when you want smooth walls again?”

 

[Jwaterski]

A good quality paint can last for years, prep work is the key. Also, never be fooled by “contractor grade” that is not quality material. Contractors don’t like spending money, profit and speed trump quality when you can get away with it.

 

[zoiDman]

Your Deck at one time probably was Stained and the Clear Coated.

But sometimes Decks get Scored from moving Chairs/Tables/BBQ's. Or Damage with Rot and Deep Stains from Water, Mold and Mildew. So a Homeowner/Seller will take the Simple route and hide it with Paint.

Can't blame someone sometimes. But Painting something like a Deck is (to Me) a Last Resort. With Deck(s) that Size, doing it Yourself would be a Commitment. Because it is a BIG Job. Can't blame you for going the Contractor Route.

Do a Little Research on Deck Paints. All the Major Brands have "Specialty" lines of Paints made for Decks. No Clue how much better they might be? But worth some Search on the Net to know what is what.

 

[borno]

You can't get good old porch and deck gray (or other colors)oil based alkyd hardly anymore. The low VOC stuff sucks. I get some for "metal use" from tractor supply that holds up pretty well. If you get the rustoleum oil based from the depot, add some japan drier or it takes too long to dry.

 

[Bronze]

Thanks all for the deck refinish info. At this point, the DIY idea is off the table and a crew will be hired. Probably going with scuff and paint. And doing it all again in a few years. Would have been better if it had been stained and varnished, never painted. But we work with what we’ve got.

Reminds me of my first house with its walls covered by multiple layers of wallpaper. Some rooms had a layer of paint in there too. That took a lot of spraying and careful scraping. Thankfully the walls were plaster, not drywall.

Then in the 90’s people were soaking sponges or cloths in paint and rolling it on their walls for texture. All I could think was, “What happens when you want smooth walls again?”

When I moved into this house they used a colored stain on the deck. I would have prefered a clear stain but as you say you have to work with what you have. I just stain it the same color. In the end, no one cares!

 

[rob33]

I'd say your pretty lucky to have a deck two decades old that has been neglected long periods of time. I would recommend cleaning with Star Bite or Mold Armor with light pressure washing and only use enough pressure to clean the deck and your choice of sealer. You should do a cleaning at least once a year and reseal depending on your environment 1 to 3 years sooner is better than later. A good way to tell if you are behind on sealing, after a rain, check if there is no beading and wood looks dull or wet you should be headed to the hardware store.

 

[MikeE3]

Looking for a recommendation for a 1/2 inch 'click' torque wrench that won't break the bank to purchase. I won't be using it a lot to justify paying a high price. I just need one to do some barrel switching and other some other work on a couple of my rifles.

So I do want to be able to trust it's accuracy. Usually I'll get a harbor freight tool for something I'll only use occasionally ... but I'm kind of concerned about the quality/accuracy of buying a torque wrench from there.

 

[borno]

Looking for a recommendation for a 1/2 inch 'click' torque wrench that won't break the bank to purchase. I won't be using it a lot to justify paying a high price. I just need one to do some barrel switching and other some other work on a couple of my rifles.

So I do want to be able to trust it's accuracy. Usually I'll get a harbor freight tool for something I'll only use occasionally ... but I'm kind of concerned about the quality/accuracy of buying a torque wrench from there.

Ive got a Williams I like but I don't remember what it cost though.

 

[MikeE3]

Ive got a Williams I like but I don't remember what it cost though.

$200 and UP! You'd better like it.

 

[zoiDman]

Looking for a recommendation for a 1/2 inch 'click' torque wrench that won't break the bank to purchase. I won't be using it a lot to justify paying a high price. I just need one to do some barrel switching and other some other work on a couple of my rifles.

So I do want to be able to trust it's accuracy. Usually I'll get a harbor freight tool for something I'll only use occasionally ... but I'm kind of concerned about the quality/accuracy of buying a torque wrench from there.

I was in a Similar situation awhile back. Didn't want to shell out and Arm and a Leg for something I would use Once and then maybe Not again for years.

I bought this one with my Fingers Crossed...

1/2 in. Drive Click Type Torque Wrench

Got it home and did a 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 Gallon Water test on it and it was Right on the Money Lbs wise. Not sure how it would perform over 60lbs? And I doubt it would hold up at 150lbs.

But it Worked for what I needed. So I was More than Happy.

 

[Bronze]

Looking for a recommendation for a 1/2 inch 'click' torque wrench that won't break the bank to purchase. I won't be using it a lot to justify paying a high price. I just need one to do some barrel switching and other some other work on a couple of my rifles.

So I do want to be able to trust it's accuracy. Usually I'll get a harbor freight tool for something I'll only use occasionally ... but I'm kind of concerned about the quality/accuracy of buying a torque wrench from there.

I bought a Harbor Freight cheapy about a year back. I checked for accuracy (plenty of vids on how they calibrate them) and it was pretty close. Used it a number of times now and seems to work fine. It was their max 150 ft/lb wrench, 1/2" drive. I got their 3/8" drive, inch/lb torque wrench too and I have my doubts about that one. It doesn't click. The head just cocks over to the side. I checked it's accuracy too and it was pretty close as well. Just a little skeptical of the no-click.

You can step up to Icon...HFs better tool line. Seems to me you can get the 1/2" ft/lb wrench for under $100. I'm sure it's better than the crap.

 

[zoiDman]

I was in a Similar situation awhile back. Didn't want to shell out and Arm and a Leg for something I would use Once and then maybe Not again for years.

I bought this one with my Fingers Crossed...

1/2 in. Drive Click Type Torque Wrench

Got it home and did a 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 Gallon Water test on it and it was Right on the Money Lbs wise. Not sure how it would perform over 60lbs? And I doubt it would hold up at 150lbs.

But it Worked for what I needed. So I was More than Happy.

BTW - I always wanted one of these...

https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-20741A-Digital-29-5-147-5-Foot-Pound/dp/B009GLISI0?th=1

Not sure if it would Work Better than an old Tried n' True Click Wrench? But it Does look Cool. Like something Scotty would use to adjust the Dilithium Crystals on the Enterprise.

LOL

 

[Bronze]

BTW - I always wanted one of these...

https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-20741A-Digital-29-5-147-5-Foot-Pound/dp/B009GLISI0?th=1

Not sure if it would Work Better than an old Tried n' True Click Wrench? But it Does look Cool. Like something Scotty would use to adjust the Dilithium Crystals on the Enterprise.

LOL

Spend $42 to verify the wrench you bought for half that is accurate.

 

[rob33]

BTW - I always wanted one of these...

https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-20741A-Digital-29-5-147-5-Foot-Pound/dp/B009GLISI0?th=1

Not sure if it would Work Better than an old Tried n' True Click Wrench? But it Does look Cool. Like something Scotty would use to adjust the Dilithium Crystals on the Enterprise.

LOL

Glad you mentioned this I'd be thinking of getting this one for the main purpose of torquing 22.5 rims on my RV. A 400+pd wrench is pricey an bulky. I have a torque reducer that will either loosen or tighten but an torque wrench is recommended when using it. Oops forgot the link, lol

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009GLITFW/ref=twister_B079ST5HMP?_encoding=UTF8&th=1