The Amazing Way To Remove Splinters From Your Deck

by | Mar 17, 2016 | Amador County | 0 comments

The Amazing Way To Remove Splinters From Your Deck

It’s mid-March and the weather is starting to warm up, at least on the days that it isn’t raining. It always amazes me that every year the first few 80 degree days seem so hot. I know that we have triple digit heat coming, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

It’s the time of year when you start to think about barbecues and eating dinner outside on the deck- Looking forward to the cool spring nights as you adjust to the warmer temperatures of the day.

If you’re like most people with a deck, you have probably pushed the maintenance cycle on more than one occasion. It seems harmless in the beginning, but over time it doesn’t always work out to your advantage.
If you notice some spots that are showing more wear than others what should you do about it?

This one is almost worn out.

There are certainly options-

You could replace the board(s) in question. But if you have a semi-transparent stain on your deck it doesn’t look very good when you have a brand new piece of redwood up against older boards.

You could sand the whole deck back to smooth wood. If your deck already has wear that is profiling the wood grain, this is a very long and tiring process. We have big decks in Amador County (the biggest we did last year was over 1800 square feet) and spending time on your hands and knees with an orbital sander is not a very fun way to spend a weekend, let alone a full week.
This one is almost worn out.

You could forget about them, and hope that no one ends up with a splinter in their foot.
Or you could use our favorite tool for the job- An Osborn Brush….And just in case you are wondering, it was not made by Ozzy or any of his relatives.

The best way for me to describe an Osborn brush is that it’s like a bunch of tiny tentacles covered with sanding media. Think of it like spinning an octopus, with an excessive amount of legs, really fast and his suction cups (sanding media in this case) grabbing the splinters and taking them off of the deck.

At Michael Hines Painting we have tried a lot of methods on decks

When the main concern is removing splinters that could hurt someone as efficiently as possible I have yet to find anything better than an Osborn brush. It is not going to make your deck look brand new, or level off uneven boards. It could do it, but that is not what we use it for, and is not the best choice if that is what you are really trying to accomplish.

So, how fast is it?

I’m glad you asked. We recently re-stained this deck that had been neglected at different points since it was built. The last painter decided that applying one of those new deck miracle products was the best idea (but it wasn’t and was coming off the deck in less than 6 months). There was a lot of splintered wood under the old coating. It was around 600 square feet of decking and we were able to hit all the areas of raw wood, to remove the splinters, in less than an hour. And we could have done it quicker if the brush head wasn’t almost warn out.

Before & After
Before & After
In the after picture, you can see the wear patterns and dog scratches that show what this deck has been through over the years.
It was at the tail end of it’s useful life, so it was a balance of doing the best possible job for the condition and age of the deck but still making it safe and attractive and that’s why we called on our trusty Osborn Brush.
The deck structure is sound, and the surface profile is tight which will allow the homeowners to squeeze every drop of enjoyment out of their deck before they will have to consider replacement.

Why Choose Michael Hines Painting To Be Your House Painter?

At Michael Hines Painting, we believe in the value of lifetime relationships. That is why we will never sacrifice the quality of our work or provide you with poor service.
If you’re looking for a painting contractor that can expertly complete your painting project, or there is anything we can do for you- Please just let us know.
We are eager to show you the quality, confidence and peace of mind our painting services will bring to your home. Schedule a consultation on our calendar below or call us right now at 209.256.4587 to get started. We look forward to hearing from you.

Or contact us at our other company called Galt House Painter, in where we provide high-quality painting to everyone.