- 1). Remove the old finish so that the new finish will adhere to the wood, not old paint or varnish. Use a lightweight belt sander and an 80-grit sanding belt to sand with the grain of the wood and remove the old finish from the wood. The 80-grit is large enough to take the finish off without becoming clogged by the sanding residue and is the least coarse of the medium grades of sandpaper.
- 2). Use the belt sander and a 330-grit sanding belt to smooth out the surface of the planking by sanding with the grain of the wood. A fine-grade sandpaper, 330-grit is used for polishing the surface of the wood, where the 80-grit sandpaper strips the old finish.
- 3). Use a wet mop to remove any sanding residue from the wood by dipping the mop into the mop bucket, then mopping the deck. Rinse the mop out in the mop bucket and wring the water from the mop. Use the dry mop to dry the water from the deck, then allow the deck to air dry for at least 24 hours.
- 4). Use a paintbrush to apply the chosen finish coating to the dry deck planking, one plank at a time. Apply the finish with the grain, at the thickness specified by the manufacturer. Wooden decks can be refinished with teak oil, varnish or even paint.
- 5). Check the condition of the deck caulking, and replace or repair the caulking if required. Most modern boats use marine silicone caulk between the individual deck planks. A rope caulk, called oakum, is often found between the boards of a deck with thick planks, usually on antique boats. Oakum is a piece of rope that's dipped in a caulking agent like tar. When it was used, the seam between planks was covered with tar.
If oakum was used between the planks, remove the oakum and replace it with marine silicone caulk, or use a wooden mallet and bosun's chisel to drive new oakum between the boards. Cover the oakum with tar (if your aim is restoration) or with a marine silicone caulk.
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