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Deck renewal project

Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Deck renewal project

 

Hi all,

 

I thought I'd share my current deck renewal project.

 

The deck is around 10 years old and was looking pretty shabby. The timber is merbau but I wasn't sure what the original coating put on the deck was - something with a coating that peeled off in parts (as opposed to an oil).

 

Subsequent oiling never got a brilliant result despite how much I scrubbed and blasted with the pressure cleaner - it was clear that a full sand back to the bare timber was needed.

 

AfterShot.jpg

BeforeDeck1.jpg 

 

In preparation for hiring a floor sander I purchased an orbital sander and sanded back all the edges of the deck with 40 grit paper. It's hard work on the hands and knees but I was happy with the initial results, giving me confidence that the deck was going to come up well after the job was complete. Here's a rough example:

 

FirstStep1.jpg

 

I hired a floor sander on Saturday. They are heavy beasts but surprisingly easy to use. It's a job anyone can do - even those with limited skills like me! Again I used 40 grit paper for the first sand, then went over again with an 80 grit. Here's a few sanding progress shots:

 

FirstStep2.jpg    FirstStep4.jpg

FirstStep5.jpg

 

Final step in the sanding process was to get the orbital sander out again with the 80 grit paper and tidy up any spots that were a little rough or needed a little more work. 

 

After cleaning up I started oiling the deck. I got one coat on Saturday and one coat on Sunday morning, but with rain forecast for Sunday afternoon/night I couldn't get the third coat done. Hoping to get to it in the next couple of days and will share the results. It looks like it will be a big improvement and well worth doing. 

 

Jason 

 

 

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Safety update: January 2021

 

The Bunnings team would like to advise the drum sanders available for hire in Bunnings stores are not suitable for use on decks. For any exterior decking projects, the Orbital sander available for hire is the correct choice as it has a sturdier head which is ideal for decking.

 

Before sanding your deck, all nails should be checked to make sure they are below the surface of the boards. Any protruding nails should be punched below the deck surface.

 

The state of your deck's timber is also important to assess. If they are weathered, the edges can start to split. Any boards that are damaged with sharp edges or splinters should be replaced before commencing sanding.

 

If you need a hand with your deck renewal project, please don't hesitate to ask for assistance. We're here to help. 

 

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aza
Just Starting Out

Re: Deck renewal project

Hi Jason I have the same deck on my property and its only 18 mth old and needs recoating we used an oil first time . It looked amazing first time but when rain splashed on it , it stained it and discoloured  can we use something else this time after we prepare it like a varnish perhaps? 

thank you 

azzah

Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Deck renewal project

Hi @aza,

 

Welcome to Workshop. I trust you will find plenty of great advice and inspiration for your projects from our community members. 

 

It sounds like you were unlucky with the rain first time around. How soon did it rain after you had applied the oil? In the case of the product I used, Intergrain says you shouldn't apply if rain or dew is expected within four hours, but that full curing can take a week. 

 

The decking oil manufacturers, and I'm sure most Workshop community members, will tell you that you won't get a great result if you do a recoat with another product unless you sand back to bare timber. They will also tell you that it's not uncommon to need to do a new maintenance recoat in 12-24 months. Do you know what product you used first time around? I'd also suggest you don't use anything that isn't especially made for decks, which typically cop a beating from the likes of the sun, foot traffic, assorted pots and outdoor furniture.  

 

I'm looking forward to hearing from other Workshop members on this topic.

 

Jason

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srjh
Finding My Feet

Re: Deck renewal project

Like aza I'm looking at redoing a merbau deck after about 18 months. We used the Cabot's Ultradeck and probably did several things wrong along the way with prep, etc. and didn't get good penetration, and it's also coping poorly with the sort of wear and tear you'd expect from a deck. I'm thinking about stripping/sanding it back and starting again.

Is there much of a difference in quality between brands? If the Intergrain Ultradeck is any better, I'll go with that once the Cabot's is removed.

Two of the major staining problems I've had are from dog urine (this seems to turn the merbau very dark initially, then lightens as if it stripped the coating) and a gas cylinder (leaving very dark black rust marks deep in the merbau itself). Any ideas for these? I think the urine stains will disappear when stripped back, but would prefer the coating to tolerate further accidents, but the black rust stains seem resistant to even significant sanding.

Love the natural timber look at first, but it's looking like much more trouble than I thought.
Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Deck renewal project

Thanks for joining in the discussion @srjh, and thanks for joining the community. I'm confident you'll find it is a source of great inspiration for your projects, as well as helpful information and advice. 

 

It might help community members if you could upload some photos of your deck so we can see it's condition and suggest next steps. I hope members might also have some dog training tips for you to help avoid accidents in future.  

 

Cabot's Aquadeck is a Dulux product and considered their "good" option, while Feast Watson is better and the Integrain range their best. 

 

Jason

 

 

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srjh
Finding My Feet

Re: Deck renewal project

 

Thanks, Jason.

 

I've stripped back some of the stain, but the gas cylinder mark is particularly pronounced and very deep - see below (it's more pronounced with stain on top).

 

20171124_143306.jpg

 

Turns out it was actually Feast Watson's Wet Look that I used, and I thought I'd have another go at applying.

 

Which was an absolute disaster! The stain dried to the lambswool applicator pretty much immediately, so instead of the smooth application I got last time, I was smearing and dragging gummy dried stain all over the deck, and will have to sand back yet again to remove it.

 

Guess this just isn't for me...

Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Deck renewal project

So sorry to hear about your latest experience @srjh. It sounds like the weather was too hot, causing the stain to dry too quickly. Was that the case? 

 

Jason

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srjh
Finding My Feet

Re: Deck renewal project

It must have been too hot. We actually checked the temperature (25), well under the 35 recommended, but it must have been too hot in direct sun. Didn't waste too much stain, but will be a fair bit of effort removing it and doing it again.

 

 

Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Deck renewal project

Visitors to this popular discussion might be interested in reading the Top 10 Most Popular Deck Projects on Workshop - see https://www.workshop.com.au/t5/Best-of-Workshop/Top-10-most-popular-deck-projects/ba-p/30303

 

Please let us know if you need a hand with your deck.

 

Jason

 

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Re: Deck renewal project

Hi thanks for really helpful information, what colour or type of oil did you use on your deck?

 

I am about to embark on a deck renewal project and will be my first try (first home buyer)

 

Fingers crossed all goes well

 

Thanks 

Re: Deck renewal project

Glad that the posts were helpful @chrismeliI used Intergrain Ultradeck Merbau. Good luck with your project. Please let us know if you need a hand with anything.

 

Let me also extend a very warm welcome to the Workshop community. It's fantastic to have you join us. Feel free to post if you ever have a home improvement question or something to share with the community. And please let me know if you ever need help getting the most from the site.

 

Jason

 

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