Sanding the deck with an orbital sander?

[Dr Jumping Jack]

Hello,
I am completely new to machines and am now wondering, as it starts to be time to sand the deck, if it's possible to use an orbital sander to make the deck smoother to walk on?
Thank you in advance

You cannot sand 60 m2 with a small handheld sander, no matter what kind it is! The decking is too uneven, and the machine doesn't go deep enough. You can sand with a floor sander, but the problem is that screws, which are often positioned too shallowly, are difficult to screw down if several years have passed. When the screws get sanded down, they will be level with the surface. Additionally, the slight rounding of the edges of the decking will disappear, and the result will not be very good. Accept your deck as it is, maybe give it a power wash; if it's too bad, replace the decking!

 

[Mildredemil]

Hi, update.
I put on knee pads and finally used an orbital sander and applied stain (jotun burmateak if anyone's wondering). Very satisfied with the result. The picture above is before.

 

[Testarn]

Nice!

 

[HeppePeppe]

Good result, how long did it take approximately?

 

[tensiden]

You cannot sand 60 m2 with a small handheld sander regardless of the type! The decking is too uneven, and the machine doesn't sand deep enough. You can sand with a floor sander, but the problem is the screws, which in many cases are placed too shallow, making them difficult to screw down if it's been a few years. When the screws are sanded off, they'll be level with the surface. Additionally, the small rounding of the edges on the decking will disappear, and the result won't be very good. Accept your deck as it is, perhaps give it a pressure wash, if it's too bad, replace the decking!

Sure, you can, but it's a tedious job.

I did our deck with an orbital sander. Absolutely not the right choice and really should have used a more robust machine. Took a few hours. 60m2, I wouldn't take on with anything other than a good belt sander or similar.

 

[Mildredemil]

Drove a full day I'll remember. I'm not a perfectionist but the result was quite ok. Don't forget knee pads!