Deck Care And Maintenance
Looking After Your Deck
When you build a deck in Queensland’s, you have to take in account our weather.
Heavy rain, year round sunshine and high humidity – These 3 factors will take its toll.
Regular sweeping and light mopping or hosing will do a lot to prolong the life of the finish you applied to the wood.
This fact sheet by the QBBC explains different wood types and some ways to look after the wood types.
Looking after the finish on the timber boards..
When your deck was originally built it was either stained or oiled. Typically hardwoods are oiled to enhance the beautiful colours and grains in the timber.
And there are 2 types of oils you can use – oil based and water based.
Oil based is more ‘nourishing’ to wood and will have a matte finish Water based sits on top of the wood and is perfect around pools and wet areas. The finish is a not as matte as a traditional oil stain.
Stains or maybe you know this as varnish, are usually applied to treated pine boards so you can achieve a hardwood look on a smaller budget.
Stains can be oil based or water based.
Treated pine will also last longer as long as it well cared for
Get A Quote For A New Pergola, Deck or Carport.
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Oil and Water Test For Decking
Oiled boards in an ideal world should be re oiled every 6 to 12 months.
To check if the timber needs to re oiled – just splash some water on the wood. If it beads – there is still a good level of oil in the boards.
If the water sinks in to the wood. It is time to re oil.
To re oil your decking.
Sweep the boards of all dirt and dust. You may want to use a pressure cleaner. Do not use a setting too high or go over an area too many times as it can create splintering in older wood.
You will then need to clean the deck with the right cleaner , a trip to your local hardware store can advise you of what to use.
And then apply the oil and it should be a quick process when it is all prepped.
Maintaining a Stained Deck
Regular cleaning of stained decking will prolong the life of the stain. You will know when your deck needs to re stained as it may have areas of peeling and generally look faded.
You will have to prepare the surface by cleaning – Your hardware store can advise you what to use.
You may need some elbow grease and scrub some areas. A neglected deck will need more intense work when it is time to re stain.
It is likely to need a stain stripper applied to remove the stain and to be sanded before fresh stain can be reapplied.
Get A Quote For A New Pergola, Deck or Carport.
Don’t wait, call our friendly team today!
Minimise Weather Damage
Timber exposed to the elements will not last as long as timber protected from the sun.
You can do this by having shade over the deck , either by a roof, a shade cloth or under shady trees. Consider having a patio built when you are looking to build an outdoor deck.You will have year round enjoyment of an outdoor space.
In Queensland going outside in the warmer months is not enjoyable unless you have an area out of direct sun.
Check out our patio and pergola page to see what else we can do to give you a fabulous out door entertaining area
If you have an older deck that is starting to split, crack or rot.
Call us and we can come and asses your deck to see if it needs some repairs or if it does need to be replaced.
We will always advise you of your options so you can make the best choice for your situation.
Get A Quote For A New Pergola, Deck or Carport.
Don’t wait, call our friendly team today!
Other ways to keep your deck looking great
Do not drag outdoor furniture over the boards. If you have to move furniture, apply felt pads to the bottom of chair and table legs
If you have pets – keep their nails trimmed
Do not keep pot plants in the same spot. Move them around to avoid water damage and have a water saucer under the pot.
In high traffic areas such as a door way, consider using an outdoor mat
Avoid wearing high heels on softer woods. The heels will leave divots in the wood that will cause you grief when it comes to sanding the deck in later years.
Sweep or blower vac leaves up to prevent dirt and water settling long term
QBCC Registered Builders
Make sure that your deck builder is QBCC registered so that your deck does comply will all local and state requirements
