Sep 6, 2014 2 min read

Q. The 30-year-old deck at my lake house is pretty rough, not smooth like newer decking, more like planks. I’ve read about a new product called Restore, made especially to cover rough surfaces. A friend told me it will not work on treated lumber. What say you?

A. For starters, your friend may be talking about an old pressure-treating technique that used an arsenic-based preservative, and he’s right. This old preservative was phased out 10 years ago, and the replacement is much safer. Frankly, I would ignore those fancy new materials that claim the sky and often result in disappointment.

For your rough planks, either replace them with pressure-treated boards or mahogany and apply one coat of an oil-based semitransparent stain, or you can sand what you have. If the deck is painted, remove the paint with a stripper, sand it, and then apply the semitransparent stain.

Q. Please advise: How can I cover black patches and dirty areas on a cement patio? How do I clean cement steps that have become black and covered with moss?

A. I have to clarify one thing. When you write “cement,” you really mean “concrete.” Cement is a binding agent. Anyway … 1) You can clean the step with a power washer, which you can buy or rent. Leave the moss alone. It grows where nothing else grows and is attractive. 2) You can tear up the old concrete and have a new patio poured.

Q. The south-facing side of our 20-year-old contemporary never seems to hold paint. It always peels after two to three years. Do I have to take it down to the bare wood and prime before repainting? Will an oil base last better? What say you?

A. The relentless sun, especially in south-facing areas, is brutal and is causing your miseries. Take that side to the bare wood, then apply Hotton’s favorite, one coat of an oil-based semitransparent stain. Don’t apply a second coat; the stain is a penetrating preservative, and a second coat will just bubble up and stay wet.