Keeping Your Timber Decking In Good Condition
Your timber decking is truly an attractive element in your home and a place for your family to stay enjoying a lazy afternoon or the morning breeze. It is important that you maintain your timber decking since it is easily damaged by the elements, where it is constantly exposed especially to moisture or rain. To increase the water repellency of your deck, re-apply oil or stain finishes. When you have notice “beading” of water on the surface then your water repellency treatment is taking effect. When the water repellency of your timber decking is thinning due to wear and tear, the wood absorbs the water and gets damaged. This is why it is very important that you constantly re-apply a decking finish to your timber decking unlike your timber floors, which is protected by the indoor environment. Just remember to conform with the manufacturer’s instructions regarding the preparation and application of the finish treatment.
These oils for decking usually have an ingredient that are UV inhibitors, reducing the natural aging of timber through the passage of time. Timber ages by wearing a graying tint. If your timber decking is slowly turning silvery gray, you can re-color it by applying a colored stain. If black spots or mold appear on your timber, you can clean it off using a commercially prepared deck cleaning formula and revitalizing products. Again, make sure to follow the instructions provided by your timber merchants as to the preparation and application of the product to your decking. This is very important because you do not want to damage your decking but just clean it.
Applying a timber decking oil or finish must employ the same technique used in the original coating. Your application must run from the nearby boards coating the whole length of the timber decking and not the width. Using a single technique will make an even coating especially when the original coating is still apparent. You do not want to counter the direction because it will yield you a dirty looking finish instead of a clean smooth one.You can maximize the gaps between the planks since your coating will be done in each board. This will make sure that you will not duplicate your coating, which can create a mosaic effect on your floor. If your decking is suspended above a patio or a porch, you should put a drop sheet to protect it from the excess drip.
For sure, your timber decking needs regular maintenance, but all your effort will be worth it for your decking is an important part of your personal space.
|