Deck Restoration Sydney
Looking for the best deck maintenance company in Sydney?
Look No Further…
Sydney Staining Services will deliver above and beyond your expectations when restoring and maintaining your timber deck. Some of the reasons you should consider us:
over 10 years experience of deck restoration
use the latest technology products
invested in the latest dust free sanding systems with built in vacuum that leaves zero saw dust behind
factory trained painting specialist (ISO9001)
consistently attain 5 star reviews from every customer
punctual and extremely hard working
trustworthy and keep our promises
We do it all
Whether you need Deck building, Deck Restoration, Deck Staining or a Deck Maintenance contract we assure you that you will be thrilled with the stunning result.
We tick all the boxes
We do exceptional work and back this up with attention to:
Staying environmentally friendly
Diligent preparation work
Superior long lasting products
Experienced, trustworthy and reliable staff
A step-by-step guide to Deck Restoration. Should I do it on my own?
Once decided to install a deck on your Sydney property, you have made one of the smartest investments in your life. First of all, a deck adds a lot of value to an estate. So, once you or your heirs put it on the market, a deck will instantly justify a higher price.
And of course, your deck is your oasis – a place to escape the Australian sun or spend nights out stargazing with your friends and family. You will create your best lifetime memories here – birthdays, pool parties, neighbourhood barbecues – a deck is a perfect place to gather with your family and friends.
Your outdoor space is the natural extension of your home. And just like your home, it needs some attention and care to serve you safely as long as possible. With all the fun that you will have outside with friends and family, your deck will inevitably get stained and slightly damaged with time. Also, Australian decks are naturally exposed to varied weather with extreme temperatures, humidity and heat.
Is deck restoration a DIY process?
Above all, the best way to take care of your deck and make it last forever is to notice when you need to restore it. Not only it will help to maintain the overall looks of your backyard, but regular check-ups and restoration routine will prevent dangerous failures and costly repairs.
And here comes the big question: should you restore your deck yourself or address a professional. Along with a wide range of deck restoration services, here at Sydney Staining Services, we offer comprehensive consultation on equipment and products you may need for DIY deck restoration.
However, there is only one way to understand whether you should roll up your sleeves and restore the deck yourself or address a professional service – take a close look at the process.
In this article, we won’t convince you either to do it yourself or call a specialist immediately. Let us describe the process step-by-step, so eventually, you will make your own informed decision.
Detecting and fixing Deck Problems
Before getting down to the actual deck restoration process, you should take a good look at your deck and detect the visible problems, damage and staining. It will help you estimate how much time and money you will need to spend on your deck restoration project.
Take a close look at your deck. Various weather conditions, extreme temperatures, ice and UV lighting, as well as physical damage from furniture or equipment, can damage your timber decking.
Some of this damage is clear and pretty visible. Still, you want to make a full inspection to be sure that your deck restoration won’t just be cosmetic and will solve all the issues.
Otherwise, you risk wasting your time and money on an ultimate time bomb on your property – a deck that looks nice but can be unsafe and even dangerous for you and your family.
Inspect your deck thoroughly. Pay some extra attention to junctions or places where wood touches the ground. Those are the most common areas for wood rot. Once you get suspicious about any place, try poking it with a screwdriver. Once the tool enters easily, you will have to replace the wood entirely in that area of your deck.
Cleaning your deck
Cleaning is the first step in deck restoration. Not only it helps to see the work-frame clearly, but also:
Removes surface stains and remaining of paint
Peels off debris and splinters
Prepares deck wood for a comprehensive inspection and restoration
You should clean your deck annually. Pressure wash is the easiest way to do so as it simultaneously removes the dirt and peeling from the surface of your deck.
However, comprehensive cleaning consists of several stages:
Rinse your deck thoroughly.
Pour water on your deck and let it soak. Once soaked, the dirt will come off much easier. If you clean your deck annually, there is a strong chance you can skip this stage.
Rinsing helps to remove long-standing layered dirt. It is easier and safer to soak that
contamination before trying to scrub them off.
Scrub it.
Once you are sure that the deck is dry, take a bristle brush and scrub all the surface of your deck thoroughly. Avoid metal-bristle brushes as they may damage the deck wood.
Make sure to go through all the surface of your deck, remove the splinters and remaining debris.
Pay attention to the ends of wood and junctions as those are the places where most of the dirt collects. It may be one of the hardest parts in DIY desk restoration. Also, there is a risk to get traumatised or injured by wood splinters and rough edges. Make sure to protect your hands and knees and address a doctor immediately in case of injury.
Sanding your deck.
This process helps you get rid of all the remaining imperfections and strip the wood entirely. You can do it with a belt sander, sander sponge or palm sander.
Keep in mind that this is an extremely dusty process. You will need to wear a respirator and protective glasses to secure your eyes and lungs. However, if you suffer from any skin condition, eye sensitivity, asthma or any other respiratory disease, DIY deck sanding may be very dangerous. At Sydney Staining Services, we use a professional-grade anti-dust sanding technology that protects our employees and customers from dust and contamination associated with sanding.
Wash it.
Now that your deck is clean and smooth, you should wash your deck with a special deck cleaning product to get rid of the remaining of dust or any other contamination.
Here at Sydney Staining Services, we recommend eco-friendly non-chlorinated deck cleansers. They are perfectly efficient and safe for you and your pets.
The below picture shows what H2Oil weathered grey from Aqualis looks like on spotted gum. The Outdoor furniture is finished in Golden Care Teak Protector Instant Grey.
Full Deck Restoration
Once you have noticed some damage or wood rot while inspecting your deck, you will have to do some advanced deck restoration.
It will include:
Inspecting deck underside to detect any hidden damage
Replacing rotted or damaged wood parts
Fixing or replacing the deck railing
Incomplete inspection is the most common mistake once people try DIY deck restoration. Dealing with the visible damage only, they neglect the support structure of their decks.
However, those areas are most vulnerable to rot, mould and degradation. Once you ignore these damage, you put yourself and family members in danger. You also risk facing some costly restoration once the deck support structure collapses.
How to replace damaged deck wood?
Once you find rot, mould or any other damage at your deck, you will have to replace the wood in that area. You should do it yourself only if you are familiar with the entire construction of your deck, and its support system.
Once you don’t have the exact blueprint or doubt your experience and engineering knowledge, it will be much easier and cheaper to hire a professional.
However, replacing the wood of your deck is not too complicated. You can easily do it yourself once you have enough free time.
Here are the key matters:
Make sure to arrange underlying
support to the entire length of the newly-installed boardsInstall the new wood carefully,
with minimal gaps between them and the old boards
However, once you finish the installation, new deck boards will inevitably differ from the old ones. You may avoid it only if you eventually decide to replace all the deck boards. However, if you invite a staining professional, he may easily cover up the difference and make it unnoticeable.
Deck refinishing
Once you have cleaned your deck thoroughly and replaced all the damaged parts, it is time for staining.
Once you chose a product, keep in mind that the more transparent the stain is, the more visible all the imperfections become.
In case you have replaced some boards or want a more uniform look and colour control, you should choose opaque stains. You may use paint also. However, make sure to get the specifically formulated paint that is more durable to ware-off as people will stand on your deck and walk through it.
Deck refinishing is a pretty time-consuming process as staining or paint should dry entirely, once you can use your deck.
Of course, it is better to do it once the weather is steadily dry and warm.
Also, make sure to secure your freshly-stained deck from people and pets till the desks are dry.
Final thoughts
So, should you restore your deck yourself?
Everyone has his answer to this question. Once you have plenty of free time, enjoy physical labor and have certain experience with tools and wood, DIY deck restoration may be an ultimately rewarding experience.
However, this project may be pretty demanding and injury-causing. And once you make a mistake or miss something, you will have to re-do all the work yourself, as there won’t be any warranty or customer service.
So, if you consider DIY deck restoration as a money-saving option, think twice.
Not only will you have to spend money on the equipment, tools, wood, cleansing and staining products. You are also going to need gloves, safety shoes, glasses and other protective equipment. And of course, doing deck restoration yourself will take more time, so you and your family should prepare for a longer period of noise, dust and other traditional restoration inconvenience.
It is only up to you whether to chose a DIY project or inviting a professional. However, make sure to contact Sydney Staining Service before making the final decision. Our qualified experts will be happy to answer all your questions, give a quote for various deck-restoration services and help you benefit the most from your tidy, fully-restored and safe deck.
Prep work is the most important part of a stunning outcome when restoring decks.
Par Arnoldson, the founder of Fornya, is a Teak Maintenance Specialist based in Sydney, Australia.