Stain is peeling

Yup!

Hitting it with water would likely help unblock any pores, but it adds to your wait time. Certainly nothing wrong, but maybe overkill. Whatever fits into your regular routine and is covered by your bid. The customer always loves to see a contractor show that TLC and extra steps.

I have actually used 40 grit for removing a tough coating on PT. Probably would not have been smart on cedar, I imagine. :grin: 60 is my typical approach because it is so fast. I would imagine 50 as even faster.

Watering after sanding is a good idea . I only do it on some jobs . It lets the wood open up more after the sanding process. I don't go over 60 grit. The wood gets too smooth 80 grit and up but if you watered it and let dry a day or two 80 will work.

Thanks everyone for the advise. I will let you know how the redo turns out!!!

Thanks for the help everyone. The deck turned out great. Didnt lose my butt or a customer. They want the whole deck redone next year with a different color.