Finishing my decking

[Ian the carver]

Can anyone advise me on what to apply to a newly laid spotted gum deck which won't involve recoating too often. I've looked at Intergrain and Cabots decking oil but I don't want to have to recoat every 12 months as people in the trade recommend should be done. A clear finish is desired to bring out the spotted gum features.

[RufflyRustic]

Hi Ian,

Whatever finish you put on, you will have to recoat at some stage, even more often if the deck is going to get full weather on it. Most likely though, the egdes will need recoating more than the rest of the deck if it's under a roof.

I've friends in Brisvegas who put their deck up a year ago and now need to recoat the edges that get full sun/weather (faces north), but it's only about two boards width of recoating. The rest of the deck is under shelter and stills looks brand new.

They used Sikkens for the deck and I have to say I'm very impressed with it.

cheers
RufflyRustic

[Ian the carver]

Thanks rufflyrustic. I didn't mention the deck is on the west side and cops the full summer sun of a brissie summer. I just had a thought. How would it look if I didn't coat the deck at all and let it weather naturally over the years?

[RufflyRustic]

hmmm, it would look rustic - but..... it wouldn't last as long as a coated deck. I suppose it depends on too, whether you will be selling or not. Personally, I'd put a good finish on it and see how it goes. Being on the west side, it may not need as much re-coating ( once a year?) as being on the northern side. but then you said it gets the full sun.

Arrgh, come on guys I need some help here :o

cheers
RufflyRustic

[Eastie]

if you want to protect it without the hastle associated with 3-4 coats of oil per year then you'll need a some sort of clear deck coat such as sikkens or intergrain. Even these will require going over every year or three - steer clear of anything that suggests sanding back before re-coating: the easier ones only require a quick mop to clean them up before re-applying another coat so long as you do it before the coating breaks down. I like intergrain but have a look at the tint color before making your mind up - it has a fair bit of pigment in it and if you simply want a 'wet' look then look at something else - perhaps even a marine varnish (look before you leap - you don't want to commit to future sanding if you dont have to).

[Ian the carver]

Thanks eastie
Seems that the deck does need to be finished but without the necessity to resand prior to recoating.

[Markw]

If you have to go to the trouble of re-coating every 12 months why not just use a decking oil in the first place. A lot cheaper than using any of the "finishing" products especially Sikkens which is really great stuff but an arm & a leg to buy when done properly.

I also saw on the weekend on the Ryobi Show (Lets Do It - may as well be the Ryobi & Dulux Dog & Pony half hour ad.) where they demonstrated a new Wagner brand mop for applying decking oil. Difference was it has an oil reserviour tank (no need for paint tray) and this little curly brush which is supposed to go down between the deck slats to coat each side. Normally I would of expected this sort of thingy to be a "KayTel" brand but generally Wagner produce OK gear so maybe it works.

[Eastie]

If I were going to leave a deck natural I'd simply oil it, sand the oil in and then wash it down - given that it's been constructed of durable timbe and the sub-frame is durable and protected - e.g. bearers/joists sealed, malthoid over the joists, etc. Oil it and sand the oil in and wash it back - that's it. The oiling and sanding improves the surface and helps prevent future splintering when it ages and goes grey.

Some of the nicest decks I've seen and walked on are bare timber. Check the durability of spotted gum before going down this road.

[Trav]

Spotted gum is one of the hardest timbers going. Just try nailing it. Hard as one of those soduko samurai thingos!

I laid a 30sq m sptted gum fully exposed to the weather on the northern side of my house in Canberra. I coated it with 2 coats of wattyl decking oil. It looks great.

BUT

You need to oil it every 6 months, tops. Probably better every 3-4 months. No sanding needed, just mop and then apply.

If you leave it, expect a deck that looks like a paling fence after a while. It will go grey and check and splinter over time.

It is a pain, but given the cst and effort involved in the deck, I think an hour or so of work 2-4 times a year is worth it.

Trav