The Homeowner’s Guide To Choosing the right Deck Rejuvenation Company
The Homeowner’s Guide to Choosing the Right Deck
Rejuvenation Company
How to use this guide:
This guide has a list of the 11 questions that any real deck rejuvenation expert should be able to answer without hesitation..
Read through the questions and their answers so you have an understanding of what your deck needs. Then ask the decking expert the same questions, and see how he answers them.
If he can’t answer the questions, avoid him at all cost...
If his answer is the total opposite to this guide, avoid him at all cost...
If he's answers are similar to this guide, he could be the one...
Let’s get to it.
How to use this guide:
This guide has a list of the 11 questions that any real deck rejuvenation expert should be able to answer without hesitation..
Read through the questions and their answers so you have an understanding of what your deck needs. Then ask the decking expert the same questions, and see how he answers them.
If he can’t answer the questions, avoid him at all cost...
If his answer is the total opposite to this guide, avoid him at all cost...
If he's answers are similar to this guide, he could be the one...
Let’s get to it.
1. Should you paint your deck or oil your deck? Using paint to protect your decking seems like such a great option. It’s one or two layers that completely cover the surface of the deck and keep the water out. Here’s the thing, when you paint the boards on your deck, you can never get to the underside of the boards or in a lot of cases, you can’t paint the sides of the boards properly either. This means that these surfaces aren’t protected from the rain and the harsh sun and will eventually become damaged, then rot away or split... You may be thinking, “yeah but the underside isn’t directly exposed to the rain, won’t it be ok?” Here’s the thing, water runs through the deck to the ground below, then water vapour can rise from beneath the deck, and then the bottom, unprotected side of the boards will absorb this moisture. Guess what happens next??? The board absorbs the moisture all the way through and brings it to the surface... right under your perfect paint job... Next you’ll start to get bubbles, splits and chips which simply means... your paint will peel o from the surface of your deck and you’ll have an ugly deck in need of sanding... One of the best ways to protect your decking is by using a high quality decking oil. The reason oil is better than paint is simple. When you apply oil to your decking boards, it actually absorbs deep into the surface of the board. This prevents moisture from absorbing in through the bottom, and stops it from making its way to the surface of the board. |
So, paint sits on the surface, whereas, oil penetrates deep into the timber.
Paint will eventually peel and split... decking oil is going nowhere... it’s sitting deep into the timber. You can see how using decking oil is a superior way to protect your deck... |
2. Can I paint my previously oiled deck? Never paint a wood surface that has previously been oiled. The oil won’t allow the paint to stick to the surface of the boards... Trust me, you’ll end up with a huge mess of peeling paint... If you do use paint on an oiled surface, make sure you prepare the surface properly. Before you paint make sure you use a paint remover to strip the surface then follow it up by sanding the deck. It’s the only way... |
3. Can I oil my previously painted deck? Remember how I said don’t paint an oiled deck? Well the same goes the other way around... Don’t oil a painted deck... Any paint that’s left on the surface will be highlighted once you use oil, and your deck will look ugly and patchy. There’s a couple of things you should do before you oil your deck:
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4. How would you prepare my deck to get it ready for paint or oil? When it comes to getting your deck ready to oil, 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 flakey: Start of 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 mould: 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 mould or algae. The problem that usually occurs is that if your deck hasn’t been oiled and the mould is sitting on a bare timber surface, the mould 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. |
5. How do you apply the oil... Brush or lambs wool applicator? You’ll probably see most deck companies use a lambswool applicator to apply decking oil or stain. This is not a bad option but you need to be sure that when they apply the oil that they back brush to remove any excess oil still sitting on the surface. The best option is a decking brush. This is like a big paint brush on a broom handle... When you use a decking brush, the bristles help to force the stain and oil deeper into the surface of the decking boards. You’ll get longer protection from an oil or stain that is absorbed deeper into the boards rather than just forming a lm on the surface... |
6. How much oil do you need to put on? Apply only what your deck can absorb. One of the main reasons that your freshly oiled deck feels sticky and is starting to peel is simply, your deck expert has applied too much oil to the surface of your deck. Deck restoration companies, who don’t know what they’re doing, always think that more oil will give better protection... This is completely wrong... There is only so much that your deck can absorb before the oil will pool on the surface of your deck and form a lm, just like paint... and we all know what happens when you paint a deck... That’s right, you end up with a big, ugly, peeling mess on your decking... Make sure that the company you use takes their time and applies at least 2 to 3 thin coats of oil. Make sure they allow enough time for the oil to dry properly between coats... |
7. Can you sand my decking so it’s really smooth? Most people think that you need to sand o old stain, oil and paint with a coarse sandpaper then smooth o your deck with a ne 120 grit sandpaper. This will make your deck nice and smooth just like your timber floors inside your home... The problem with this is, you close o the surface of the timber which stops the oil or stain from penetrating into your decking boards. In other words, the oil will just sit on the surface of your boards and result in peeling and aking. To give your decking boards that deep absorbed oil protection, make sure your decking expert sands your deck back with a coarse sandpaper like 80 grit. 80 grit will remove all of the old coatings and open the pores of the timber without chewing your decking apart. |
8. My deck is new, can I oil it straight away? You should always let your new decking boards weather for at least 3-6 months before you oil 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... Put 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... If the water beads on the surface, then it’s still not ready. When your deck is thirsty and ready, I’d 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. |
9. What time of day would you be oiling my deck? Applying a decking oil or stain in direct sunlight will speed up the drying time of your oil which will stop it from penetrating deep into the timber. And of course, applying oils and stain in the rain will ruin the finish of your decking... Make sure your decking company has scheduled the oil application for the early morning or late afternoon so it won’t be exposed to that harsh sunlight while it’s drying. Any good decking expert should also never take the risk of applying oil or stain if there’s a risk of rain. They should be patient and be willing to wait for clear weather instead of trying to rush and t it in... |
10. What treatments do you recommend for my deck? Sand, cleaning, oiling. Etc. A lot of inexperienced deck restorers will do a great job on cleaning your deck, sanding out the stubborn stains and oils and get your deck back to bare timber. It look great and all it needs now is a couple of coats of oil right? Hold on, not so fast... There’s one step that most people skip over and it’s one of the most important steps... This one simple step allows greater adhesion of the oil and stain into your decking boards. This most important step is... make sure your decking company applies a timber brightener before you apply the oil or stain... This has 2 benets... 1. It will brighten up the nal colour of your decking... 2. It will open up the pores on your decking and allow better adhesion of your oils and stains... Make sure your decking company has specified that they’ll be applying a decking brightener in your quote. Don’t ask for a brightener... Ask them what steps they will take...Make sure they recommend a brightener without you asking for one... |
11. How often should I clean and oil my deck? A good deck rejuvenation company should be able to recommend a maintenance plan so you don’t need to go through the full blown, decking strip back and seal every couple of years. Here’s what I recommend: Every 6 months, scrub and clean your deck and check its condition. Give it the bead test where you put a couple of drops of water on the surface of your deck. If the water beads then a clean is all you need. If the water is absorbed into the deck, then you need to re-oil your deck. If you don’t need to oil your deck at 6 months, then I would recommend a clean and oil at 12 months. This is the best way to keep your deck looking new and keeping it in a great condition. |
What’s next? Now you’re ready to go o into the world and start calling deck rejuvenation companies... Armed with these 11 questions and their answers, you’ll be able to work out who is the best man or woman for the job and avoid the deck rejuvenation hacks... But before you go... Thanks for reading my guide and listening to what I have to say. As a thank you, I would like to offer you something special... I’m only offering this to people who read this guide... I have a special assessment process that I call my “Deck Rejuvenation Audit” How it works is, I come out to your home and I assess the condition of your decking and run through the following checklist. 1. Are any boards soft, rotten or breaking apart? 2. Are there surface cracks and splits? Have they gone right through the board? 3. What is the condition of the current surface coating: is it patchy or is it aking? 4. What is the coating? Oil or Paint? 5. Is there no coating currently on the decking? Is it grey in colour? 6. Is the deck new or old? 7. How long has it been exposed to the elements? 8. Is there mold and stains? Then I put together a quote based on the condition of your deck combined with what you tell me you want... But, I’d also like to make you a special offer... |
If you call me out to perform my “Deck Rejuvenation Audit” and you decide to go ahead and use my services, I have two bonuses for you... Bonus 1. Free Six Month Maintenance Clean: Once your deck has been restored properly, you’ll want to make sure it stays that way. That’s why I recommend cleaning your deck every six months and re-oiling at least once a year. Here’s what I’ll do... Six months after I’ve restored your deck, I’ll come back and give your deck a free scrub and clean. I’ll remove all of the dirt and grime that eat away at the surface of your deck. While I’m there, I’ll assess your deck and make sure the protective coating I’ve applied is still holding up and doing it’s job. Bonus 2. 8 Week Payment Plan: For a lot of people, getting your deck restored is a big investment. I’ve come across a lot of people who opt for a cheap, inferior deck restoration just to keep the cost down. The truth is, a cheap, faulty deck restoration will actually cost you more in the long run. It won’t be long before you’ll have to get your deck sanded back and recoated because it’s aky and patchy. To reduce the impact that price has on your decision to get your deck done properly.... Here’s what I oer: You pay 50% of the quoted price upfront, then you pay the balance each week, split up over 8 weeks. |
And before you ask, there’s no interest on these payments. It won’t cost you any extra...
Here’s what you need to do to get your free Deck Audit and bonuses...
Call me (Jason) on 0466183548 to book in your free Deck Audit.
You can also email me at jason@handymanmorningtonpeninsula.com.au
I’ll come out and perform my Deck Audit, then present you with a xed price quote, along with the two bonuses, the Free Six Month Maintenance Clean and the 8 Week Payment Plan.
My number again: 0466183548
I look forward to speaking with you soon,
Sincerely,
Jason
P.S. I have put together a condensed version of the 11 questions above. It's a checklist with these questions and brief answers. You can check it out here
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