Share
Preparing a deck for re-oiling can be easy with the right tools on hand for the job.
The project
Our deck was about five years old and ready for re-oiling. The original stain was Cabots Aquadeck and it had six coats on from the previous five years' use. As the deck is covered, it only weathers on two sides, with the less exposed regions appearing almost pristine. To sand it back was just too hard for me – maybe with an aggressive belt sander or something, but I didn't really want to go gouging out a few millimetres of board to get rid of the stain. After earlier failed attempts, I knew that a total strip and sand would be necessary to get the best result.
Initially I resorted to using PowerPrep and the pressure sprayer, which wasn't quite enough for stripping back the existing deck finish. Here is one of the initial stages of using PowerPrep.
I shifted tactics to Liquid 8 timber stripper, which was a little more potent and got the result I needed.
After going over the entire deck with Liquid 8 and the pressure sprayer, I decided to sand the entire surface. I wanted a really high quality result when oiling, and took the time to sand over the decking twice.
This is after a coarse sanding (P40 sandpaper) and then a fine sanding (P280 sandpaper).
Here is the deck after the first coat of Intergrain Nature's Timber Oil.
And after the second coat.
The deck is made from River Reds hardwood, which has almost as many colours as Spotted Gum, but is primarily pinkish with the odd bit of almost pure white. The whiter boards have taken on an orange tint, which isn't overly pleasing, but I think next year when it's due for another oil, I'll whack a Jarrah tinted Nature's Timber Oil over the top and darken it up a bit.
Before and after
How to renovate a timber deck
If your deck is looking a little worse for wear, a complete deck renovation is within reach. Experienced Workshop member Adam Woodhams shows you how in this step-by-step guide about How to renovate a timber deck.
The Bunnings team has also shared helpful How to guides for sanding and oiling your deck.
More deck renewal projects
Workshop Community Manager Jason renewed his 10-year-old Merbau deck using a floor sander and three coats of Intergrain Ultradeck. Although the floor sander was intimidating at first, he found that it wasn't difficult to use and shares tips for those who want to give it a go.
Workshop member Nikkaz and her husband revamped their deck by hiring a sander from Bunnings, and advices Workshop members to "buy more sandpaper than what you think you'll need" after going over the deck three times with three sheets of sandpaper.
Whether you are considering building a new deck or rejuvenating an existing deck, you'll find plenty of inspiration from these popular decking projects from the clever and creative Bunnings Workshop community.
