Did you know that if you let your decking go for too long without oiling it you’ll have to sand it back and start again?
It’ll be your only option…
But what is too long and…
How often should you oil your deck?
The short answer is you should oil your deck at least every 12 months…
But sometimes it’s not that simple.
Let me explain…
If your decking is undercover and protected from the harsh weather then you could go a lot longer…
But here’s the thing…
No matter how well protected your decking is, and even if you use the best deck oil available, there will still be parts of your decking that will be exposed to the sun and the rain.
The outer areas of your decking will take a beating and make the rest of your decking look bad.
Here’s how you would keep the oil in these sections of your decking on par with the rest of your deck.
It’s all about decking Maintenance
- Keep a close on on the section that are exposed to the weather
- At around the 6 month mark do the thirsty decking test
- If the water is beading test again at 9 months
- If the water is still beading test again at 12 months
If the water is soaking into the deck instead of beading then you know you need to oil your deck…
Here’s what you need to do:
- Firstly you need to know what oil was used on your deck
- Then you need to clean your whole deck with a decking cleaner
- Once your decking is completely dry you can coat the section of decking boards that are exposed to the weather.
- Allow the first coat to dry then you can give your whole decking another coat of oil
This should bring the weathered section back up to look new again and blend in with the rest of your decking.
One thing that is important to remember with oiling your decking is… you need to know which oil was used on your decking.
If you use a different oil on top of your oiled deck then the weathered sections won’t blend in and it could peel and flake off.
Always use the same oil unless you are sanding back and starting again…
How often should you oil a deck if it is completely exposed to the weather?
The process of oiling and deck maintenance is exactly the same for a protected deck and a decking that is completely exposed to the weather…
You want to clean your decking every 3 months to remove any dirt and debris that can scratch and damage the oil coating whenever somebody walks on it.
A proper decking maintenance plan looks like this:
- Clean and scrub at 3 months and check for weathering
- Clean and scrub at 6 months and check for weathering
- Clean and scrub at 9 months and check for weathering
- Clean and scrub at 12 months and coat with oil
Now, any time during these maintenance checks, if the weather is getting the better of the decking then you would apply a coat of oil. You don’t have to wait for the 12 month mark to apply a coat of oil.
So to answer the question, how often should you oil a deck?
In most cases you need to oil a deck once a year…
Every 12 months is a safe bet, but it’s all about maintenance and keeping an eye on it. It could be every 6 months or every 9 months, it all depends on the condition of your deck…
I know this sounds like a pain but it’s similar to your swimming pool or your lawn and garden…
Would you pay someone to clean your pool one time then let it just sit there for 12 months and expect it to stay clean and safe to swim in?
When you hire a gardener or someone to mow your lawn you have to keep getting them back every couple of weeks to maintain them.
This is the same with your decking…
People don’t realise this…
I get people calling me all the time saying that they need me to fix up their deck because the last guy messed it up. It’s all peeling and fading.
When I get out there it’s beyond a clean and oil. Most times their decking needs to be sanded back.
I always ask how long ago it was done…
The answer is always “maybe 3 or 4 years ago”
Here’s the problem..
The other guy didn’t mess your decking up but he did make a vital mistake…
The mistake he made was that he didn’t educate you on the one way to keep your decking looking good…
He didn’t offer you the “vitally important” maintenance plan to help you keep it looking brand new and protected from the peeling and fading that will inevitably destroy all deckings if they aren’t on a strict maintenance plan.
That’s why whenever someone calls me for a decking restoration quote, I always make it my mission to educate them about decking maintenance…
I never just offer a sand and oil…
Plus we always offer a Decking Maintenance Plan.
And I always come out and see what needs to be done to your deck to bring it back to looking new.
The main part of the quote is based around this.
Then I offer a second quote which contains the decking maintenance plan…
This is a 12 month plan that includes a schedule for 3 monthly cleaning and a 12 month re-coat.
The first clean is free and is included in the main deck restoration quote…
So if you don’t want to go ahead with the maintenance plan, I’ll still come back and clean your decking 3 months after your restoration…
If this is all making sense to you then you may be wondering how you can get your own deck restoration and maintenance plan.
Here’s what you need to do:
You can call me on 9015 4654 to book in a decking audit…
I come out to see the best way to get your decking back to looking brand new again and how much it’ll cost you…
This quote includes a free decking clean 3 to 6 months after your decking restoration.
Then I put together a Decking Maintenance Plan with the break down of cleaning costs and re-oiling costs.
The maintenance plan is actually the secret sauce that’ll keep you decking looking great and save you from going through the whole deck restoration every couple of years…
Here’s a breakdown of what your quote includes:
- Deck cleaned, sanded and 2 coats of oil
- Plants covered and protected
- Home protected from chemicals and oil splashes
- Flexible and patient to get perfect weather conditions
- All dust removed from home and windows after sanding
- 3 to 6 months maintenance clean
- Yearly maintenance and re-coat schedule with reminders before it’s due
And the Secret Sauce…
- Clean and scrub at 3 months and check for weathering
- Clean and scrub at 6 months and check for weathering
- Clean and scrub at 9 months and check for weathering
- Clean and scrub at 12 months and coat with oil
The thing that makes the maintenance plan so powerful is that it gives me the ability to keep a close eye on your decking…
I can put a stop to the harsh effects of the weather before it causes serious damage…
But this may not be for you, and that’s ok…
If you’re reading this and thinking “Hey, I could do the maintenance myself”…
Then this is not for you…
Most people don’t have the time to do this themselves…
Most homeowners forget about their decking until it’s too late…
You have to keep on top of your decking maintenance before the damage occurs…
Again… if you think you can do this yourself….
If you have the discipline, then you should have no problem doing this yourself…
But I can’t take responsibility for your decking if you’re going to keep an eye on it yourself…
This is not for you…
If you see the value in what I’m offering and you know you won’t keep on top of the maintenance required for your decking then we should talk…
You can call me on 9015 4656 or you can fill out the contact form below.
It amazes me that decking maintenance is such a new concept….
I haven’t come across anybody else offering a maintenance plan for your decking…
You most likely haven’t heard of this Decking Maintenance concept before and might be thinking it sounds expensive…
Actually, the cleaning and oil of a deck is the easiest and cheapest part of the job…
The expensive portion of deck restoration is in the stripping and sanding of a decking.
A maintenance plan is actually a lot cheaper than restoring a deck.
So what are you waiting for?
Now is the time to call…
I look forward to speaking with you,
Sincerely
Jason
FAQ’S
For most decking oils, it’s a bad idea to oil while your deck is wet. You need to wait for your deck to dry before you can apply a coat of oil. However, some products like Flood Spa-N-Deck oils can be applied while the deck is still wet.
Before you oil your deck you need to scrub it with a thick bristled brush and a suitable cleaning product. Let it sit on the deck surface for 10 minutes then hose off. You’ll then need to let your decking dry before you oil it.
If it rains after you’ve just oiled your deck then you’ll ruin the finish of the deck. It’ll leave water marks on your decking surface. You’ll need at least 3 hours of drying before it rains
If your current deck coating is in good condition then you’ll only need one coat of oil. If it’s been stripped back to bare timber you’ll need at least 2 coats of oil to get an even finish and proper protection from the weather.
For most water based decking oils, you’ll need to wait at least 3 hours before you can walk on your deck after oiling it. If you use an oil based coating then you’ll need to wait longer for it to dry.
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