4. How should I prepare my deck to get it ready for oil?

When it comes to getting your deck ready to oil in Melbourne, there is no such thing as one-size-ts-all. It’s true that all decks need to be cleaned properly before oiling, but the best way to clean your deck is based on it’s current condition.

Let’s go through them...

New Decking Boards:

You should always let your new decking boards weather for at least 3-6 months before you oils or stain your new deck...

You see, new boards have a lot of moisture in them and whatever protective coating you apply to them won’t absorb into the wood. If you rush to oil your deck without weathering the boards, you’ll get peeling within a few months...

Here’s what you need to do:
 
Allow the boards to dry out for a 3 to 6 months then try this little test...

Drop a few drops of water onto the deck and if it absorbs the water in a couple of seconds, then your deck is thirsty and ready to be coated...

I would recommend scrubbing your deck with a deck cleaner, pressure washing it, then applying a wood brightener. Rinse the brightener o with your garden hose. You’ll need to let your deck dry out for 24 hours 
before you apply 2 coats of oil.

Previously oiled decking that has turned grey: If you have a deck that has turned grey and has no sign of the old oil or stain then the process you use would be to clean the deck with a deck cleaner, pressure wash your deck, apply a wood brightener and rinse the brightener o with your garden hose. Once your deck is completely dry you should apply 2 coats of decking oil. Oiled deck that is peeling or patchy in spots: If you have a deck that has been oiled and is starting to peel then this is what you need to do. Use a stain stripper to remove the old stain and oil coating then pressure wash your deck. You might need to apply a second coat of stripper if your deck has multiple coats of oil that still haven’t been removed. If the oil or stain is still there, you can remove whatever is left with a hand sander. When sanding make sure to use a sandpaper with a grit 80. If you use a ne sandpaper and make your deck really smooth, it’ll stop the deck from absorbing the oil properly and it’ll peel within a couple of months. Once you’ve removed all of the old stain and oil, apply a wood brightener, rinse with a garden hose and allow to dry for at least 24 hours. You’re now ready to apply 2 coats of oil or stain. Painted deck that is peeling and flaky: Start o by applying a paint stripper to your painted deck. Allow it to sit on the surface for about 20 minutes but don’t allow it to dry. After 20 minutes you should pressure wash your deck to remove all of the old paint.

Any paint that doesn’t come o can be removed with a hand sander. Like I said before, use sandpaper with 80 grit so you don’t smooth o the surface too much and close it to absorbing the new decking oil.

Next you need to apply a brightener and rinse it o with your garden hose. After about 24 hours you should be ready to apply the first of 2 coats of decking oil.

Remember... I don’t recommend using paint on your deck.

Decking covered in mold:

I’ve found that a scrubbing your deck with a good quality deck cleaner then washing it down with a pressure cleaner will easily remove any mold or algae. The problem that usually occurs is that if your deck hasn’t been oiled and the mold is sitting on a bare timber surface, the mold will leave behind stains that need to be sanded out.

So what I recommend is to scrub with a cleaner and wash your deck down with a pressure clean. Next you’ll want to use a hand held belt sander with 80 grit sandpaper to remove any stains or damage to the surface of your decking boards. You’d follow this up with a decking brightener before you apply 2 coats of oil.