How do you prepare weathered decking for new oil and stain that has previously been oiled and stain?

[Samg88]

 

  

[Samg88]

Hi Bunnings, just wanting to know what the process is to renew this deck, bring it back to life and re-oil and stain it. I don’t know what colour was previously used on this deck, will that be a problem? Thanks

[EricL]

Hello @Samg88 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your deck.

This is a very popular D.I.Y topic, and I suggest having a look at this discussion - How to restore a worn Merbau deck? by @Leeproff. The general steps to restoration is to clean the surface first to remove any oil or grease that may have settled on the surface of the deck. The deck panels are then sanded down to remove the any of the old oil stain or sealers applied. The deck is then given another wash to remove all the sanding dust on its surface. Once the deck panels are totally dry you can then begin to oil or stain and varnish the surface to your desired finish. 

Here are some handy step-by-step guides that will help you with your project:

• How to clean a deck
   
• How to sand a deck
   
• Choosing the right finish for your deck
   
• How to oil your deck

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Samg88]

Thanks for that Eric.

So no timber stripper needs to be applied to get that old colour off? It just needs to be sanded off?

Sam

[EricL]

Hello @Samg88 

No need to use paint or timber stripper. Just a proper sanding of the surface to bring it back to a proper timber finish.

Eric