Sanding and oiling decking boards

Cleaning, sanding and oiling decks never been so popular. And so easy! Cutek Proclean, Cabot’s Aquadeck, or traditional decking oil. We are familiar with all of them.

Max enjoys his new decking floor in Turramurra

What a great idea to put decking on your apartment balkony.Rose Bay.

Floating floor inside,bullnose and decking outside of the apartment in Rose bay

Detail of transition from floating floor to decking

Decking Sydney, composite decking Sydney, hardwood decking Sydney

We will sand and oil  your old  timber deck to look new again. 

FREE TIPS AND QUOTATION

The most common problem when finishing old decks are the protruding nails or screws. If the head of a screw or nail stands out above the floor surface,  the sanding machine may struggle to sand the deck. The head rips sandpaper and possibly the rubber drum and it can irreversibly damage the equipment. It is very important that the nails are punched down and  the screws countersunk 2 to 3 mm below the board level prior sanding.

Oiling deck boards or using a water-based product?

 Whether you intend to build a front house deck, sundeck or decking house, you will need to protect the exterior surface. Unless you build plastic wood deck.

There is a number of products on the market, but some of them do not meet their promise of looking after your deck. Why? Because they don’t protect the timber against the elements. What differentiates oil from paint is it doesn’t just sit on the timber surface, on which it may delaminate or blister, it penetrates deep into the pores and also into the gaps and around the edges preventing moisture damage.

What’s so great about oil-based decking treatments?

 

Some oil-based wood preservatives additionally contain filters which decrease the damaging effects of UV rays. Sure, you will need to “keep oiling” your deck in order to preserve the timber every 6-12 months, but you will get almost new look every time you do it. Water based finish just needs to be stripped back after the end of its service.

Water based

products usually have a less dramatic effect on the natural color of the timber. These coatings clog the pores and protect the surface with an acrylic layer. In order for the product to

work effectively the deck has to be cleaned of dust and other debris ahead of applying, or else there’s a danger of lack of adhesion to the surface and coating will peel off. One of the popular water-based products around Sydney is Cabot’s Aquadeck. Aquadeck is durable low odor decking product effective on low traffic deck. As the rest of the water-based oil treatments cannot be touched up.

Oil-based

products penetrate into the wood fiber and protect the boards from water damage along with other elements. Traditional decking oils need a longer drying time between coats, but they can keep boards (or outdoor furniture) looking good longer. Nonetheless, these oils generally turn the wood into a darker shade of colour. Some examples: Cutek Bunnings extreme, (and the Cutek Proclean) Intergrain Nature’s Timber Oil, Urethane coatings Decking natural oil or Intergrain timber oil UltraDeck timber stain.

Oil based treatments need to be used with care. The most frequent mistake is applying too much of it
and not wiping the excess from the deck. When wood is fully saturated the oil will dry on the surface and create shiny areas.
It is quite difficult to remove these sticky puddles and often re-sanding the floor is the only alternative.