How to sand deck with nails sticking out?

[bodega]

Hi - restoring an old deck that was built by previous owner. The foundations are pretty good but long overdue to be re-sanded and re-finished as I'm already replacing old boards here and there.

Deck area is roughly 6m x 4m, manageable but still decent work.

Questions:

1) Been putting this off as I noticed all the boards have been nailed in, I've attached some details photos. Will these be ok to sand over? Some of the boards I've had to replace I've used weather proof decking screws which are much better and flush with the deck instead of slightly raised.

2) I was going to buy a belt sander. Or should I hire an orbital sander? I've watched so many tutorial videos but could use suggestions.

All suggestions welcome.

[EricL]

Hello @bodega 

I propose using a Craftright 3 Piece Nail Set Punch to sink the nails further into the decking panel. This will prevent the sandpaper from hooking into the nail head and tearing itself apart. A belt sander is more effective for detailing and tight spaces, but for large areas, it's best to get a for hire machine. Since your deck is medium sized, it would be worth hiring a For Hire: Orbital Floor Sander - 24hr as it makes sanding a breeze and shortens the sanding time by a large margin,

Let me call on our experienced members @Nailbag, @Noyade and @Dave-1 for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[bodega]

Thanks @EricL - always very helpful.

Do you know what type of sander I’ll use for the small tighter areas? There is a small bench on the right hand side as well as some tight corners near the fence side.

I might need a small sander in the future for furniture projects as well so don’t mind buying one for now, I’m on Ryobi tools system

[bodega]

@EricL sorry. Forgot to ask, I was thinking of storing a few things underneath the deck so wouldn’t mind converting some of the planks to screws- which screws do you recommend?

[Dave-1]

Good Morning @bodega 

I was thinking of a nail punch set as well. Just to get the nail heads abck below the surface. Is the deck Pine or hardwood? If you can push a philips head into the timber a little its probarlly going to be pine, if not then its a fair chance its a hardwood. The reason I ask is it could be harder to hammer the nails further in if its hardwood.

My deck is around the 4m * 4m I used an Ozito cordered belt sander and it worked well. My screws were level with the timber boards tho looking back to when I installed it I should have had installed so the head of the screw is lower as it created issues while sanding. 

Hardwood deck restoration is the project.

I am not sure what you mean by storing something underneath the decking timbers and using screws? I do know that over the life of a board being screwed down the fluculations of dampness, heat, age all make the screw into timber like steel. There is no way I can shift my screws out of the boards without them shearing off. I have tried lol My timber boards are merbau? and the supports are all old hardwood from houses that have been torn down.

If you are thinking of a trapdoor stye idea, then yes as long as you frame it up with supports so there is no bouncyness when you walk over it

So my vote as your nails will probarlly still be a little high is a small corded belt sander and take your time   Your boards dont seem to have cupping which is really good as it makes sanding a lot easier.

Dave

[JacobZ]

Hi @bodega,

For those tight areas, you can use a Ryobi 18V ONE+ Palm Sander RPS18. The pointed shape will allow you to get into tight corners, which will make your life a whole lot easier.

For screws, you could use either these Titan 10G x 50mm 304 Stainless Steel Decking Screws or these Titan 10G x 50mm Weather Force Decking Screws. If you're near the ocean or have a swimming pool, stainless steel would be better.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[Nailbag]

Hi @bodega 

When punching the nail heads down, they will need to be min 2mm below the surface which, allows for a layer off the top of the decking boards.

As @EricL rightly suggested, a belt sander is the correct sander for this job if you're not going to hire one which, I too would highly recommend for the size of the deck. You mentioned you're already in the Ryobi ONE+ system this would be the model. However unless you have several batteries min 6Ahr then you're going to chew through them faster than you can recharge. Probably around 10-15min as you do need to apply some weight to the tool during use which loads the motor. A corded one would be a better choice for this application. But being a DIY model it should used for more than 30min at a time with a 10min cool down cycle to preserve the motor from over-heating. 

Bear in mind, belt-sanders are not a sander you would typically use often enough to warranty buying one. In decades of reno and property maintenance, I have used one about 3 times and then I borrowed one.

There are decking sanding services that utilise a Terrassen wire-dream sanding machine that sand the tops off the nail heads at the same time. They don't leave as smooth a finish as traditional sanders, but effective all the same. However these services can be pricey as the machine itself is I think around $60K

Nailbag

[bodega]

Thanks @Nailbag @JacobZ @Dave-1 @EricL - appreciate all your replies.

So in summary, best option is to hire an orbital sander, otherwise use belt sanders suggested. Good comment about the batteries, I didn’t think of how quickly I’d use up their charge. 

I think I might go ahead with hiring an orbital sander to get it done quickly, then get a palm sander for tight corners and use on future projects.

Will need to check if hardwood or softwood, I think hardwood so I’ll have to see how the nail punch goes. Not sure what I’ll do if I can’t punch them down further???

[Nailbag]

Hi @bodega 

What you're hiring is actually a giant belt sander not orbital so far more efficient. I would invest in a random orbital sander in lieu of a palm. Far more efficient and versatile tool capable of rapid to fine stock removal and finish. This is my go to sander for most jobs then on occasion my finishing detail palm sander similar to this.

Your boards are hardwood probably Merbau.

Nailbag

[bodega]

Thanks @Nailbag 

Reason I was thinking of hiring an orbital sander is I read they can handle the raised nails a bit better. Not sure how I can get them down much further as they have a curved top and aren’t counter sunk. 

If you think the hire belt sander will still do the trick I’m open to it, just double checking everything before starting.