While many new wooden decks in Far North Queensland start out looking like a shiny diamond after initial construction and a fresh deck coating, it’s not long before some end up looking grey and weathered. With the intense UV rays, high humidity, high moisture and salt air in Cairns all playing parts in the natural deterioration of wood, it’s not surprising that sundecks in Far North Queensland literally take a beating.

One of the main problems with many decks in Cairns is not only the exposure to the harsh environmental elements but the deck coating that’s put on them in the first place.

Many of the latest technology deck coatings are simply that — just coatings, they coat the wood and have very little actual penetration. While they look great on initial application, they’re quick to crack, peel, blister and deteriorate. In addition, many of the top selling brands of deck coating finishes don’t allow users to simply fix small trouble spots, so you cannot simply sand out worn or cracked areas and re-coat them. In many cases the only remediation to a peeling or blistering deck, depending on what product was applied, is to bring the whole deck back to bare wood and refinish it.

Cairns Deck Restore only uses the latest technology in waterborne acrylic stain. The deck coating is not only extremely durable in the harsh Far North Queensland environment but also easy for homeowners to maintain and touch up as necessary. While many deck coatings will need some remediation or even fail completely within 12 months of application, the product Cairns Deck Restore uses, once applied, should last up to 18 months or more before any maintenance is required. This of course will depend on your deck usage and the decks exposure to the elements. Cairns Deck Restore will show you how to maintain your newly refinished deck or we’ll be happy to come and give it a fresh coat for you when needed.

Tired of your shabby looking outdoor deck space and but not sure whether you need a simple power wash, re-coat of stain or a full back to bare wood deck sanding?

In some cases, you may only need a good clean and a re-coat of stain or decking oil but if your deck coating is blistered and peeling, taking all the old coating off and getting your deck or patio area back to bare wood may be the best approach.

Let’s assess all the options to see what’s going to be best for your tired looking deck.

PREPARING YOUR DECK

Many deck restoration jobs start due to the deck, patio or verandah not being prepared properly in the first place, or more simply that the wrong coating or incorrect amount of coating was applied. With extremely harsh weather conditions facing all outdoor wooden decks in Tropical North Queensland proper deck preparation and proper application of the right coating for the job is crucial to a maintain long deck life.

REGULAR MAINTENANCE

With some basic deck maintenance, you can keep your outdoor deck or entertainment area looking great. Once you have a new coating on your deck, all you really need to do is keep it clean. Besides the sun and humidity of FNQ, moisture, leaves, dirt, animal, bird or bat droppings are also enemies of deck coatings.

Keeping you deck clean can be done by regularly scrubbing your deck with soap and water or giving it a good power wash if you see grime, dirt or mould building up. While this does take some time and effort, a little TLC goes a long way and in the end could save you thousands of dollars in deck repairs or even deck replacement.

DECK SANDING & RE-COATING

Whether it’s simply age, an old failed coating or outright neglect, once your deck coating starts to fail, you will most likely require a full deck sanding to rid your decking of the old peeling and blistered coating before you can properly apply a new coating to bring your deck back to new condition.

Unfortunately, even the best selling deck coatings do not allow you to simply feather back your greying, worn or blistered spots and build them back up to match the rest of the deck. Once your deck starts peeling, doing a patch work job is not the answer.
Once most coatings fail and the wood or under layers of coating are exposed to moisture or UV, then full failure has started.
If left unchecked, coating failure will eventually lead to wood failure, wood rot and a costly new deck. As a full deck sanding and recoating is a fraction of the cost of building a new deck, it’s best to make sure your deck is inspected annually to avoid this huge expense.

With today’s sanding equipment it’s possible to turn even the most worn and ugly decks into fresh looking outdoor spaces, saving you thousands of dollars in costly repairs or rebuilds.

The coating on your deck, how it was applied and more importantly how and when it’s maintained are all crucial factors in keeping your wooden deck looking fresh and new.

If left too long without cleaning or recoating, all coatings will eventually start to blister and peel and once this starts the usual remedy is once again a full deck sanding and recoating.

While many coatings state that they last longer and wear better than the others, the facts are simple. Without proper application and a little annual TLC, all deck coatings will eventually fail.

All wooden decks and the coatings on them are susceptible to UV, moisture, humidity and in Tropical North Queensland, even more so. Most wooden decks in TNQ require a new top coat at least every 18 to 24 months to combat coating failure and remain looking new.

Whether your pool deck, patio or verandah needs a simple clean, an annual inspection and recoat or a full blown deck sanding and recoating job, Cairns Deck Restore can make your deck shine again. We’ll make your peeling deck appealing, so you can be outside on your new deck where you belong.

Contact Adam today for a free consultation.

Just like home renovation, deck restoration can mean many things to many people. To most, deck restoration conjures up images of having to hire a crew to tear up your old decking boards, rebuild the support posts and or deck joists underneath, spend countless hours sanding and staining all your old decking boards before re-building it all to a shiny and new state or worst case scenario replacing the decking and deck structure altogether. While in some cases the later might be necessary  due to serious structural issues, often all that’s needed to restore a deck is to sand the decking back to bare wood and re-coat it with a new stain or sealant.

If your deck is used to simply store muddy work boots, old bicycles and broken BBQ’s outside the back of your house, then your thoughts of deck restoration will be vastly different than someone that enjoys afternoon cocktails with friends beside their amazing infinity pool. One might throw a coat of old paint over the deck every few years and call it restored, while the other might want a fresh coat of stain professionally applied every 12 months to keep their beachside sundeck looking new.

Nine times out of 10, the amount of deck restoration needed on most sundecks is in direct correlation to what coating was initially applied and how it was applied. Also it will depend on the amount of care a homeowner has taken with their deck.

Unfortunately, in most cases, once the peeling and blistering starts on your deck, simple touch ups and a quick re-coat on one section of deck is usually out of the question. Most coatings on the market today, while durable and easy to apply, do not allow for small amounts of re-application once actual coating failure has begun. This leaves many deck owners frustrated and unhappy. All one needs to do is search the internet for Deck Coating Failure and a plethora of posts and chat rooms on the subject pops up.

The words deck, coating and failure do not have to be spoken in the same sentence!

If your deck is brand new, take care of it and it will last for years with only simple touch ups and re-coats. If your deck is older and maybe a little neglected and is now peeling and blistering, it will need to be sanded back to fresh bare wood and re-coated. And, if your deck is falling down due to the weight of the old bikes, broken BBQ’s and 27 coats of paint you’ve put on it, you better call a builder because your simple deck restoration, just became a full deck rebuild.

If you’re not sure what level of deck restoration you need for your sundeck contact Cairns Deck Restore today for a free, no obligation inspection.