Sanding the Deck Surface

What happens here

The first critical step for new wood is sanding. The presenter uses both a 3x4-inch and a 5-inch orbital sander (Ekasaand E-Series) with 80-grit sandpaper. Sanding helps to 'open up' the wood grain, allowing the stain to penetrate deeper and adhere better. New milled lumber often has a glossy-like mill glaze that prevents proper stain absorption, which sanding removes. For smaller areas and edges, a 10mm closed-cell sanding sponge (Ekasilk Plus) is used to achieve smooth finishes and prepare all surfaces.