Decking Treatment

Looking to build a deck at your place? They do look stylish. Once you get the design right, there are still plenty of questions including what type of wood to use and what type of finish suits? Lots of good questions – and plenty of mighty helpful answers at your local Mitre 10.

Just head to the timber section for the right advice on where to start. Timber comes in two main types – softwood (treated pine) and hardwood (Merbau, Spotted Gum, etc). Depending on your preference and budget, both are fine to use.

Fixing with screws, rather than nails will ensure no lifting of the timbers. A bead of Heavy Duty Liquid Nails to the joist under each board will further reduce the possibility of any lifting.

Once the decking’s down, it’s all about the finish. Without a protective coat, timber will weather, age and degrade, something that most homeowners don’t want.

It’s best to leave new timber uncoated in the weather for a month or so prior to coating. This lets it leach out some of the oils and tannins from the timber. If it’s dry during this time, just hose down the timber every couple of days to promote the release of the tannins.

All you’ll need to do then is to scrub your deck with Intergrain Revivia to clean off any contaminants from the surface , then hose it off.

With everything constructed, glued, fixed, washed scrubbed and looking a treat, only thing left is the finishing touch.

Difference between oils and stains: Oils and stains both protect timber decking. The difference is that stains are designed to change the colour of timber whereas Oils are only lightly tinted so that they highlight the natural colour of the timber. Stains work well on lightly coloured Treated Pine decking, so that they can stain it to look like a hardwood; and oils tend to work well with hardwood decks like Jarrah, Merbau or Spotted Gum.

If you want a natural colour, oils are the way to go. Intergrain Nature’s Timber Oil will give the natural finish. Pour the Intergrain Nature’s Timber Oil into the application tray and, using a special Cabots decking oil applicator, simply apply. You don’t need to slop it on, a little goes along way. Spread along the boards rather than across them. Let the first coat dry before applying the second for a great finish.

Water based decking oils tend to last longer than oil based products, and because they wash up with water, they’re much more convenient to use. Oil based decking oils have a more traditional finish and look really good on really dense hardwoods

Just how long a decking oil will last all comes down to the conditions that the deck is exposed to. Decks that cop full sun and weather will wear much faster than sheltered decks. Just keep an eye on your deck, when it starts to look dry it will be ready for a re-coat.

The secret to having a good looking deck is not difficult or time consuming. All you need is regular maintenance with the right products and, importantly some mighty helpful advice. If you have an existing deck and want some advice on how to keep that looking good, simply check out this website.

For all your decking solutions visit your local Mitre 10