Expert advice on deck rejuvenation, how to clean, restore, improve and maintain a wood deck, including protection against wood rot, how to acid wash and refinish your deck. Repairing, painting, refinishing and deck restoration Melbourne wide, can be an inexpensive and relatively simple project that just about anyone can complete in a weekend. It’s often surprising how much better a wood deck can look after a simple cleaning.

If your wood deck is only a few years old, a good cleaning and hand-staining may be enough to bring it back to its former glory. Simply paint an old wooden deck with a thick acrylic repair coat that will create a smooth surface that will last for years to come.

Deck stain is similar to deck restoration paint, but instead of just covering the top of the wood, it penetrates the wood so that the wood takes on a new colour rather than hiding underneath.

Once the deck is completely cleaned and repaired, it’s time to decide which stain you will use. When choosing a deck stain, keep the condition and colour of the wood in mind, as well as how long the stain will last.

Even if the flooring looks smooth, you can sand it down to slightly roughen it up and give the stain or paint something to stick to. To paint an entire deck, you can use a paint roller to speed up the process and then go over the brush to get to the hard to reach areas. 

If the deck was allowed to dry and then repaired, wood siding can always be sanded before painting.

After cleaning the deck, let it dry completely before taping it, but don’t wait too long or it will get dirty again. Complete drying of the coating may take several days, depending on weather conditions.

You should thoroughly clean your deck at least once a year, but you’ll definitely want to wash it down before applying a new coat of wood stain or sealer (which you should do every few years).

The entire deck doesn’t have to be perfect, just clean enough to start stripping and pressure washing. The easiest way to keep your deck looking its best is to periodically clean it and reapply the sealant before the wood looks like it might need it.

Even if you stain or seal a wood deck, the planks can still crack and chip, making the deck look old and worn. As mentioned above, restoring your wood deck to new quality can be a simple or complex process, depending on its current condition.

If you’re noticing that the surface of your deck is looking old, cracked, or just not as smooth as it used to be, it might be time to change it up. If you don’t do a good job preparing the surface of your deck for the last step, it won’t turn out the way you want it to. Dry rot is hard to spot at first, so be sure to inspect your deck from time to time.

While the deck may be clean, it can still look a little worn and discoloured from stains or sunlight. The deck boards themselves are old, and while still strong, the wood boards have begun to crack and the paint has peeled off.

I painted on an 80 degree summer day and the deck boards themselves were dry to the touch in 90 minutes. Using a 3/4″ nap roller, start rolling the product onto the deck boards.

Clean the deck with a quality wood cleaner of your choice, then rinse thoroughly with clean water. Oils and resins in composite deck finishes can trap dirt and make cleaning impossible.

Rinse decks thoroughly after using this chemical, as it will attack the wood, causing premature flushing and greying. The wood used to make the deck is a naturally porous material, so cleaning with too much force can cause serious damage, including scratches and gouges in the wood.

Deck Paint Restoration coatings are thick enough to fill in any cracks, knots and chips and provide a brand new textured finish that can last up to 13 years without further recoating. Top-quality 100% acrylic latex stains, solid or translucent, are the best options for restoring a wood deck.