How to maintain one-year-old deck?

[MSD]

I am planning on undertaking annual deck maintenance.

This is the first time I am doing the deck maintenance myself.

Looking for guidance on what is required (sanding, washing, etc).

The deck was installed brand new in March 2023 and this is the first maintenance since.Laundry Deck 1Main deck 1Main deck 2Main deck 3Main deck 4Main deck 5Laundry deck 2Laundry deck 3Laundry 4

Not sure about what oil was used originally on the deck.

[MSD]

Thanks Mitchell.

I got 120 grit sandpaper for the belt sander. Is this worth a try or too aggressive for the deck?

[MitchellMc]

You could try that @MSD, though I'm not overly convinced your deck needed sanding in the first place.  The current coating looks a bit mottled and is potentially deteriorated in some sections. Ultimately, sanding the coating right back to timber would give you the best results, but that is not something you'd want to do every 12 months. It's normally only for a deck that has been neglected for years.

Personally, I would give it a good scrub down and re-coat it. The new coat will even out a lot of patchiness. If you are unsatisfied with the result, you could consider sanding it back to timber.

Mitchell

[MSD]

Mitchell, i tried sanding with the belt sander. Tried the 120 grit and then went down to 100. One particular area is taking extremely long with the belt sander to strip back the original stain.

Is there a reason for this?

[MitchellMc]

It could have just been a very thick coat in that area @MSD. If you've been using the sand paper for a few hours, it might need to be swapped out for a new piece; they tend to lose effectiveness after some time.

Mitchell

[MSD]

Finally managed to get the deck completed. Thanks everyone at Bunnings Workshop for their help and support.

   

[MitchellMc]

That looks sensational @MSD!

Well done and many thanks for sharing your results.

Mitchell