How to clean deck before oiling?

[kez6]

I'm in the process of painting my weatherboard house and also need to re oil the deck. I'm assuming I should wash the deck with deck clean or similar. However, I also need to paint all the posts on the balustrade... trying to figure out what order I should do them - wouldn't want the deck cleaning product to destroy the paintwork!

You can see I've already painted one wall but wondering if I should do the deck next. 

[EricL]

Hello @kez6 

I propose doing the deck first before you start painting anything else. Looking at the picture you posted, it appears that parts of the decks seal has worn away. If you oil or stain it now, you'll get an uneven patchy finish. In order to properly oil and stain the deck and get a uniform finish the surface must be sanded back to timber. Once the deck has been restored you can then paint the rest of the house. In order to protect your newly oil or stained deck, I suggest covering the surface with a painters drop sheet to prevent paint splashes and overpainting.

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

Here are some discussions about deck restoration:

• Solved: How to restore a worn deck? by @Northerndandy 
   
• Deck renewal using floor sander
   
• Solved: How to restore a deck that has seen better days by @RosemaryK 
   
• How to restore my deck? by @Mads1805 
   
• Hardwood deck restoration by @Dave-1 
   
• How to restore old decking? by @julienf 
   
• How to restore a deck by @Adam_W 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[kez6]

Great thanks Eric. And presumably it's worth cleaning with the deck cleaner before sanding?

[JacobZ]

Hi @kez6,

It's usually worth cleaning with a deck cleaner before sanding, primarily because things like dirt and grease that can build up on a deck tend to gum up the sanding pads. By removing them, you will ensure the sanding pads last for as long as possible without needing to be changed.

I'd suggest giving it a quick clean with a Oates Long Handle Deck Scrub Brush and some Cabot's Deck Clean before you start sanding.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob