I have a pine outdoor railing for which the wrong finish was used. The sun has eaten away the finish and greyed the surface. I was thinking I could save some money if I could restore the pickets sufficiently to re-finish. Fortunately the pickets insert into holes in the railing, so they can be disassmbled. Unfortunately, the pickets are cylindriical, so I can’t just run them through a jointer to remove the bad material. One thought was to take the pickets to a furniture stripping shop to get dipped. Will this remove the grey? Any other ideas would be appreciated.
Bill
Replies
There are deck cleaner products that should help restore the original color. The result won't be "good as new," but it should be better than what you have now.
-Steve
Not a bad idea. For some new pieces I made a "dipping tube" from 4" ABS pipe and dipped the pieces in marine spar varnish. Worked great for getting the varnish into the checks.
Pressure treated lumber ?? Try a power washer, the grey is just weathered lumber. Start with the fan nozzle at a distance and work your way closer till you get the result you desire. That's the way I cleaned up my PT deck.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
The railing is pine. I'm concerned a pressure washer might chew up the soft wood too much....
You're correct. A pressure washer, or even a bristle brush will remove the grey, but will also erode the softwood but leave the harder grain behind, resulting in ridges. The only thing that's going to leave you a smooth surface for starting over is sanding or scraping.
It is true that some of the soft spring growth will be removed. But I actually like the look of the harder grain showing slightly above the soft wood. I call it character, it's one of those personal taste things.
If you keep a fair distance from the lumber you are not going to "chew" it up. At least I didn't.Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
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