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How soon should we oil a new Merbau deck?

20201216_164735 (1).jpg Hi, we've just had a merbau deck built. Interested in thoughts on how soon we should oil it. My main concern is that we plan to have people over in a week or so and am worried about any spills (food/drink) that may stain the unoiled deck - would i be able to remove these if they happened? From what I've read, it seems it's best to let it weather for about 6-8 weeks before oiling.

The deck is exposed and north facing, so gets lots of sun. Not sure of that's a factor in oiling sooner?

Thanks for any advice.

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redracer01

Hello @tremas

You are correct 6 to 8 weeks of full sun to weather a new deck. Otherwise the tannin from the wood will just bleed the oil out and you would get a spotty finish on your deck. You could accelerate the process by using deck cleaning chemicals but better to let it naturally weather.

Cheers

Red

MitchellMc

Hi @tremas,

It's great to see you've already received assistance from @redracer01.

I've made contact with the Intergrain team to double-check, and they are very confident that Intergrain UltraPrep Tannin And Oil Remover is suitable for removing the tannins from new Merbau decking. Once the tannin removal process is complete, you should then use Intergrain UltraPrep Timber Cleaner to finish the job. You would then do a water droplet test, and if it is absorbed, you are ready to coat the deck with an oil.

Please let me know if you need further help or had questions.

Mitchell

tremas

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/11331#Comment_11331

Thanks Mitchell

If we did decide to wait the 6 weeks, do you think the Intergrain UltraPrep Timber Cleaner would also remove food stains if there were to occur?

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/68085#Comment_68085

@tremas,

There is a good chance that it would remove the stains. It's best to try to avoid them, though.

Mitchell

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/68085#Comment_68085

How's your project going @tremas, did you decide to wait or have you already oiled the deck?

I'd be interested to hear your results.

Mitchell

tremas

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/97043#Comment_97043

Hi Mitchell

Yes, we used the intergrain tannin remover and then the cleaner and then oiled. All went well and deck is looking good.

Thanks

Sarah

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/115157#Comment_115157

That's great to hear Sarah (@tremas)!

I trust our members would really enjoy seeing an image of your finished project if you'd like to share it with us.

Please let us know anytime you need assistance with your projects around the house and garden. We're here to help.

Mitchell

tremas

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/125411#Comment_125411

Sure! Here are some pre and post-oiling pics

pre-oilingpost-oilingpost-oiling

redracer01

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/132314#Comment_132314

Hello @tremas

What a satisfying finish! Excellent work.

Red

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/132314#Comment_132314

Great result @tremas. Congratulations. We will feature your handiwork on our Project Gallery as I'm sure it will help and inspire others.

Thanks for sharing, and we look forward to seeing what projects you tackle next.

Jason

Jaylintara

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/11331#Comment_11331

Hi there, information looks handy, does this also include the pre oiled merbau?

I am gettya delivery Sun for an installation around pool next week.

Trying to avoid tannin bleeding into pool.

Regards

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/70194#Comment_70194

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Jaylintara. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about pre-oiled Merbau.

Our pre-oil Merbau comes with a priming coat of oil designed to protect the product until it is top-coated with your preferred product. You can read more about the coating in the product brochure. You will still need to let it naturally age or use a product like Intergrain 1L UltraPrep Timber Cleaner to strip its tannins before coating.

I suspect that you'll still see a significant amount of bleed from this tannin-rich timber as no ageing process has been done to it. This might be slower than a non-primed timber, but I believe it will still be evident.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Jaylintara

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/98190#Comment_98190

Thanks Mitchell.

I'm happy to use the cleaner to speed up the process of tannin removal on surface. I'm more concerned with leaching from the last few rows and facia boards that hang over pool edge, will these turn my pool tea colour and stain my liner? Or will it not be noticeable in 55kl of water bring filtered?

Should I leave the last few rows off to avoid any tannin in pool?

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/115797#Comment_115797

@Jaylintara,

I'd suggest you treat and clean those boards prior to installation. I suspect the tannin leech will be diluted by the volume of water. However, I am concerned about the staining of your liner. Staining of liners seems to be a fairly common issue with installing Merbau up to or over a pool.

Mitchell

Jaylintara

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/125836#Comment_125836

Thanks again Mitchell.

I think I'll leave facia boards off until washed a few times with Tannin cleaner, I'm also going to staple builders plastic on underside of deck structure to create flashing between deck and pool coping, this should mitigate leaching into pool.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/132559#Comment_132559

That sounds like a very sensible plan, @Jaylintara.

Please keep us updated on your project, as it sounds like it will be a sensational build. We'd encourage you to start a discussion so our other members can follow along too.

Reach out if you need further assistance. We're here to help.

Mitchell

anilj

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/98190#Comment_98190

Hi MitchellMc,

I've used the SpecRight decking for a project at home. The brochure says "topcoating is required within 8-12 weeks of installation".

Does this mean to do it between weeks 8 and 12 or just do it anytime before the 12 week mark?

I am keen to do it as early as possible so we can be finished with our project but don't want to do it too soon either.

Thanks!

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/119112#Comment_119112

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @anilj. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about coating a deck.

The eight-week period allows enough time for the timber to naturally weather and release tannins. If you wish to do the coating earlier than that, you can accelerate the process by scrubbing the deck down with Cabot's New Timber Prep. Once the prepping process is completed, you'll be able to apply decking oil.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

AmandaM11

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/132314#Comment_132314

Hi love how your deck has turned out may I ask what oil you ended up using please. 😊

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/138000#Comment_138000

Hello @AmandaM11

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us.

Let me tag @tremas to make them aware of your kind words and question. I totally agree the finish on tremas's deck is outstanding. It would be good to know what product they used to get such a finish.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

tremas

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/140381#Comment_140381

Thanks @AmandaM11, I think it was this one https://www.bunnings.com.au/intergrain-4l-natural-ultradeck-timber-decking-oil_p1520074

But I'll check tomorrow that it wasn't the Merbau one they also have. But definitely Intergrain. Have had no issues with it - we had re oiled every year, with the exception of last year when we didn't think it needed it. So now it really needs it!

tremas

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/142095#Comment_142095

Yes, it's the natural one 🙂

grzes

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/125411#Comment_125411

Same as Sarah, I am just building mine and are ready to lie down boards

I have a big deck and would like to do this in 2-3 hits as price for full deck would be a bit hard for me

can I do this way applying all recomended task given here ?

thanks Greg

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/135844#Comment_135844

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @grzes. It's sensational to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about constructing a deck.

There’s no issue with doing your deck in sections and sealing the boards as you go. If you’re leaving the Merbau timber exposed for a while, it can naturally weather for up to around two and a half months before it absolutely needs sealing, which is fine for it to start settling in. Alternatively, if you want to get a head start, you can lay the boards, give them a clean with a timber prep product, and oil them straight away. Doing it in stages over time is perfectly fine, so you don’t need to tackle the whole deck at once.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

grzes

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/138945#Comment_138945

Thank you for your prompt reply

will do this way with natural way

one mor question

is there any tip for using Bunnings boards who are plain flat on both sides de is there any advantage to paint/ protect the joists

is that really worst air penetration than boards with grove?

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141024#Comment_141024

In regard to the boards being plain and flat on both sides @grzes, that’s completely normal for hardwood decking like merbau. You’ll usually only see grooves on the underside of softwood decking, such as treated pine. Those grooves are there to help with moisture movement and drying because softwoods are more prone to holding water and decaying if moisture gets trapped. Hardwood decking doesn’t generally need this, as it’s denser and far more resistant to moisture-related issues.

There is definitely an advantage to protecting the joists, regardless of the type of decking used. Water can sit between the decking boards and the joists, especially in shaded or poorly ventilated areas, and over time that can lead to rot in the joists. Using a joist protector over the tops of the joists helps prevent water from soaking into the timber and can significantly extend the life of the structure underneath.

That said, many decks are built without joist protection and still last a long time, particularly if they have good drainage and airflow. Joist protection is more about long-term durability than it is a strict requirement. If you’re looking to do things once and do them well, it’s a worthwhile addition, but your deck won’t automatically fail without it.

Mitchell

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