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Hi all,
I thought I'd share my current deck renewal project.
The deck is around 10 years old and was looking pretty shabby. The timber is merbau but I wasn't sure what the original coating put on the deck was - something with a coating that peeled off in parts (as opposed to an oil).
Subsequent oiling never got a brilliant result despite how much I scrubbed and blasted with the pressure cleaner - it was clear that a full sand back to the bare timber was needed.
In preparation for hiring a floor sander I purchased an orbital sander and sanded back all the edges of the deck with 40 grit paper. It's hard work on the hands and knees but I was happy with the initial results, giving me confidence that the deck was going to come up well after the job was complete. Here's a rough example:
I hired a floor sander on Saturday. They are heavy beasts but surprisingly easy to use. It's a job anyone can do - even those with limited skills like me! Again I used 40 grit paper for the first sand, then went over again with an 80 grit. Here's a few sanding progress shots:
Final step in the sanding process was to get the orbital sander out again with the 80 grit paper and tidy up any spots that were a little rough or needed a little more work.
After cleaning up I started oiling the deck. I got one coat on Saturday and one coat on Sunday morning, but with rain forecast for Sunday afternoon/night I couldn't get the third coat done. Hoping to get to it in the next couple of days and will share the results. It looks like it will be a big improvement and well worth doing.
Jason
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Safety update: January 2021
The Bunnings team would like to advise the drum sanders available for hire in Bunnings stores are not suitable for use on decks. For any exterior decking projects, the Orbital sander available for hire is the correct choice as it has a sturdier head which is ideal for decking.
Before sanding your deck, all nails should be checked to make sure they are below the surface of the boards. Any protruding nails should be punched below the deck surface.
The state of your deck's timber is also important to assess. If they are weathered, the edges can start to split. Any boards that are damaged with sharp edges or splinters should be replaced before commencing sanding.
If you need a hand with your deck renewal project, please don't hesitate to ask for assistance. We're here to help.
Hi @aza,
Welcome to Workshop. I trust you will find plenty of great advice and inspiration for your projects from our community members.
It sounds like you were unlucky with the rain first time around. How soon did it rain after you had applied the oil? In the case of the product I used, Intergrain says you shouldn't apply if rain or dew is expected within four hours, but that full curing can take a week.
The decking oil manufacturers, and I'm sure most Workshop community members, will tell you that you won't get a great result if you do a recoat with another product unless you sand back to bare timber. They will also tell you that it's not uncommon to need to do a new maintenance recoat in 12-24 months. Do you know what product you used first time around? I'd also suggest you don't use anything that isn't especially made for decks, which typically cop a beating from the likes of the sun, foot traffic, assorted pots and outdoor furniture.
I'm looking forward to hearing from other Workshop members on this topic.
Jason
Thanks for joining in the discussion @srjh, and thanks for joining the community. I'm confident you'll find it is a source of great inspiration for your projects, as well as helpful information and advice.
It might help community members if you could upload some photos of your deck so we can see it's condition and suggest next steps. I hope members might also have some dog training tips for you to help avoid accidents in future.
Cabot's Aquadeck is a Dulux product and considered their "good" option, while Feast Watson is better and the Integrain range their best.
Jason
Thanks, Jason.
I've stripped back some of the stain, but the gas cylinder mark is particularly pronounced and very deep - see below (it's more pronounced with stain on top).
Turns out it was actually Feast Watson's Wet Look that I used, and I thought I'd have another go at applying.
Which was an absolute disaster! The stain dried to the lambswool applicator pretty much immediately, so instead of the smooth application I got last time, I was smearing and dragging gummy dried stain all over the deck, and will have to sand back yet again to remove it.
Guess this just isn't for me...
Visitors to this popular discussion might be interested in reading the Top 10 Most Popular Deck Projects on Workshop - see https://www.workshop.com.au/t5/Best-of-Workshop/Top-10-most-popular-deck-projects/ba-p/30303
Please let us know if you need a hand with your deck.
Jason
Glad that the posts were helpful @chrismeli. I used Intergrain Ultradeck Merbau. Good luck with your project. Please let us know if you need a hand with anything.
Let me also extend a very warm welcome to the Workshop community. It's fantastic to have you join us. Feel free to post if you ever have a home improvement question or something to share with the community. And please let me know if you ever need help getting the most from the site.
Jason
