What did you do over the weekend?

[Jason]

Hi everyone,

Every Monday I'm keen to hear what you got up to over the weekend.

It might have been starting a new project, getting stuck into some gardening, hosting a cracking BBQ, catching a new movie, getting some exercise, catching up with friends and family, or just relaxing with a good book.

Please share in the discussion below. 

Jason

[Andy_Mann]

@Jason, have you tried lightly high pressure cleaning the deck?

I did it once to our problem fence, & it brought back the beautiful natural colour, but  slightly roughened the surface. It only required a light sand to smooth the surface & it looked stunning.

Hope this helps.

[Jason]

Yes, have done so previously @Andy_Mann. Main problem with the deck is the original coating that was applied. It didn't wear evenly and was never completely removed. Oil was applied over the top so the deck is patchy. I tried very thorough scrubbing and high pressure hose last time but was still disappointed in the end result. The full sand is overdue.

Jason   

[Andy_Mann]

Fair enough @Jason, I can understand that it wouldn't be suitable for an application where a previous coating hadn't been removed completely, & oiled over afterwards, as was your situation.

Our situation was completely different, the protective application on the problem fence had completely deteriorated, so the pressure cleaning worked a treat.

A note to anyone wishing to try the pressure cleaner method, be a misting/wetting distance away when first testing, then slowly approach until you see it starting to have an affect. If you have a powerful unit & do it too aggressively, you'll have a pool of cold wood soup, & a savagely mauled deck/fence/whatever.

[Jason]

Good advice @Andy_Mann. I use a pressure cleaner on our front deck which is crazy paving. And I need to be very, very careful in order not to remove any of the fragile slate. 

I had another look at what I've sanded so far and think I will have another go at the edges during the week before I get the big floor sander in. I'm not convinced I have got enough off in some areas. 

Jason

[Andy_Mann]

Yep @Jason, good thing to tread carefully with pressure cleaners on slate, & also in our case, crazy paved Wistow Stone.

I hope you're now seeing the good weather that we've been having here, 15 minutes walk from @Bradville, over the last couple of days.

Good thinking to continue sanding back what you've done, if you're not sure if it's been done enough.

Will you be oiling, or clear coating your deck?

[Jason]

@Andy_Mann

I was recommended Intergrain Ultradeck by a team member so I'm going to give it a try. 

Jason

[Andy_Mann]

@Jason the Ultradeck looks good, & I like the sound of:

Intergrain PowerPrep

Intergrain Reviva

They could be money well spent as time savers over the life of your deck.

[BibbyKat]

Did my monthly market at Sawtell ..

[ProjectPete]

I've been flat out with all sorts of projects and events lately and it's not getting any quieter so I'm squeezing things in where I can. Last weekend I...

• Painted our colorbond fence from the standard (gross) cream colour to Dulux Shale Grey.

• Put up a rusty panel and creeper feature. The bloke told me these creepers have "rapid" growth, they're the best option for this apparently. When I hear "rapid" I think speed, I think these creepers will cover my fence panel in 6 months or so. Apparently not...Google says 2-3yrs...

• Lifted, laid and cemented in the pavers on the fenceline of the pool area (15m of it) as some of the cracker dust had started to sink under the neighbours fence (slightly different height blocks). Note - It's only a rough finish as it'll all be covered by the Marri feature wall I'm putting up.

• Put up this simple display in the pool area to add some life. #Wifey bought the wire hexagons and I cut and stained the pieces of Tasmanian Oak to suit.

This weekend? Bucks Party! Then I'll get started on the frame for the pool area feature on Sunday

[Jason]

Good weekend's work @ProjectPete! Big improvement on the fence colour and those hexagons look fantastic. 

Thanks for sharing.

Jason