The paint on my deck is chipped and I want to repaint it. I'll probably sell the house in 5 years so I think the easiest is to just do some basic sanding or scraping and repaint it.
I think stripping the paint and staining it would be too much work although I heard it can last longer.
Will a belt sander work in removing the chipped paint? Or better yet, how about scraping?
I have had good luck on many occasions when a perfect finish is not required. Get the deck wet with the hose take comet cleanser sprinkle it on the deck and use a wire brush a stiff wire brush to remove any Moss mold mildew scuzz dirt and loose paint. The new paint will go on and stick because the loose paint chips have been removed along with all the other debris. I would not recommend a belt sander it would be much too aggressive and you would have an uneven surface when finished using that tool. Also it would be very time consuming and laborious and Dusty.
You will have to replace all the rotten boards, scrape the old paint and wood splinters off, set any raised nails, sand it down, thoroughly clean it with a degreaser, or something, to clean the wood so that your new coating will stick and not bubble up in less than a year, then rinse thoroughly with water, allow the deck to completely dry. You could fill in gaps and holes with a sealer then sand it smooth, then after all that you might get away with a new coating, preferable a deck restoration coating, which is much thicker than just paint or stain. A half-baked prep job will give you half-baked and unsatisfactory final results. Good Luck!
