Preparing to Apply Flood Spa & Deck Qus.

[geoffbarker]

Hi All, this is my first post for a long while.

OK I’m sure these have been answered before but I’m not having a lot of luck doing the searches. (search function ignors the 'and' in Spa and Deck)

I have nearly finished laying my 7m x 5.5m deck using 140x21mm Merbau on Treated pine joists using Hidden Deck fasteners. Fine, now for the finishing, I bought the Cabots deck clean, a 4 Litre Can of Cabots Merbau Oil and a Wagner applicator with reservoir. After reading some posts, Floods Spa and Deck gets the raves. So I’m taking the other stuff back and going for Floods, here are my questions:

1. Do I need to do both the ‘Powerlift’ and the Spa and Deck Prep?

2. What is the best way to apply these cleaning and prep products, a mop? also I don’t have a water power spayer thing to spray it off

3. Lets say the deck is cleaned and prepped, do I apply the Spa and Deck with the Wagner reservoir applicator, or just go with the simple lambswool on a pole?

4. In 18 months, when it is recoat time, do I apply just a couple of new layers of Spa and Deck after a light ‘soap and warm water’ clean, or do I have to go through all the cleaning and Prep work again?

I appreciate any help before I spend the money and time this very week end. Thank you.

Geoff

[jimj]

I have used Spa& Deck on over 60 decks over the past 2 years. I am pleased that I have not had one call back that it has failed. I have been to many decks in that time with other coatings that will barely give you 12 months before breaking up. The sun is the greatest destroyer of both timber and the coatings put on to protect them. I am the very first to say that there is not an ultimate product that will show you the best of the grains and colors like just fresh water does. However, fresh water alone will not block the sun's ultra violet. Nearly every week I cringe after I have sanded down or just cleaned a deck and look at it with just water how beautiful it looks and then wish it could look the same with Spa&Deck. It can't and it won't. I would say that nearly all of the products that are available at the stores to coat a deck will look great PROVIDED it is not exposed to the sun. If it has direct sun all or most of the day it will deteriorate fairly quickly. I have seen virtually all of the coatings available to purchase and would love to comment but I don't need the hassles from the coating companies. I can say that Flood's Spa&Deck will not blister, peel,crack or turn black and the company 8 months ago put a 2 year guarantee on decks from that. In answer to your question you need to follow Floods application.Use Flood Powerlift which is basically a detergent based on sodium percarbonate ph of around 13. It will bring up an enormous amount of both oils, and dirt. You can get by on a new deck by scrubbing with a stiff brush on a pole and PLENTY of fresh water from a normal hose from the house. A pressure cleaner is better but not essential. With a new Merbau deck I would clean it this way 3 times as it will give up a substantial amount of tannins.You do need to use Spa&Deck prep whic is essentially oxalic acid ph1 after the powerlift treatment. You will not see a dramatic change visually but it is still doing an important job. You can then go straight into coating with Spa&Deck on the wet deck. There are many ways to aply. I prefer the 9 inch pad applicator made by Shurline . It costs about $12.50 from Bunnings for both the plastic handle and the pad. Screw it onto a 1.2 metre pole and put the paint into a paint tray and you are off. Just make sure the timber is cool. I coat in bare feet to both feel the temperature of the wood and to know if I have stepped into the paint on previously painted boards. I live on the Sunshine Coast Qld and coat from 6-9:30 am the latest on a fully exposed deck. I can usually get back on around 3:15 pm till 5pm and then stop for the day. It will usually be touch dried in 20 minutes and if the conditions are perfect can be recoated in 2 hours. In full sun I put down 4 coats in covered areas 3 is perfect. When it comes time to recoat in say 18 months just shift the furniture, hose off the dirt and recoat 1 or 2 coats depending on your situation. I am certain by now you are just about as tired of reading this as I am typing. If you want any further help just call me on my mobile. It is on my website. I am on decks 6 days a week.

regards,

JimJ www.restore-a-deck .com.au