However after a wet autumn and a cool winter, you may be starting to witness the accumulation of mould, algae, dirt and stains and your deck is not the shining glory it once was! It’s time to think about doing some annual maintenance. Annual maintenance is essential to preserve the life of the timber. The best time to recoat your deck is spring. Lower humidity and less chance of rain while the oil is drying makes this season ideal for a little elbow grease and showing your deck some love!

Before recoating, take the time to clean your deck with Vitalise. This product has been designed to remove ingrained dirt from general traffic, dust, bird and bat droppings etc. If you notice mould developing in shady areas, use Null to kill the mould down to its spores.

Once your deck is clean, you can recoat with Equisol Pro Advanced Timber Stabilizing Oil. You have the option to recoat with a colourtone in the oil as well, if you want to rejuvenate the colouring. Colour lightening from the sun is normal over a period of time, so if your deck was dark rich tones, it will certainly benefit from Colourtone application.

HANDY TIPS…

• If you can, avoid using a high pressure cleaner, please do. The high pressure roughens the timber and you will end up needing to sand it smooth again. In most situations, a standard water hose on a jet spray is enough to get the Vitalise (and the lifted dirt) rinsed off.
• Don’t forget the timber ends. We see this time and again where the cut ends have not been coated, and this is precisely where trouble starts. Do the ends.
• Use a clean brush for cutting in the edges and a clean roller for doing the large flat surfaces.

This deck is located in Doonan. Built with spotted gum, 140mmx22mm boards. The decking boards were precoated with Equisol Pro E365 Advanced Timber Stabilising Oil.

After 14 months the deck was inspected and showed the usual signs of dirt, and some fading due to environmental exposure. The timber was straight, level, decay free and in excellent condition.

Routine maintenance was undertaken using EQUISOL’s unique 2 stage timber prep system, using PRIME. The deck was washed and then VITALIZE was applied to remove old colour and brighten timber. The surface was lightly sanded with 120grit Polyvac to smooth timber fibres lifted from washing process. Two coats of EQUISOL Pro E365 was applied to the cleaned deck.

With regular maintenance this deck will exhibit great wear and extend the value of the owner’s investment.

The Dark Deck

Black colour tone on timber decking (sometimes referred to as Japanese black) and exterior timber has been one of our most popular trends this year. The result is a standout deck that shows minimal dirt.  You can achieve this look by using Equisol’s Black Colour Tone and Equisol Pro E365. Over time and depending on exposure to the elements, this colour will fade slightly and soften to a dark grey. Some people love the natural softening of this look, but if you want to keep your deck at its darkest, recoating annually with Equisol and the black colour tone will bring it back to its former impressive status. Unlike a painted black coating, the black penetrates the timber and does not create a super heated surface in summer. For inspiration, have a look at the black colour trends featured here.

The Grey Deck

You’ll see grey decks in virtually every Architectural home design magazine. The soft suede-like grey looks amazing in hinterland and beach settings. It compliments buildings with large floor to ceiling glass doors providing a softer transition to the outdoors. As opposed to a bleached and grey badly weathered timber, the grey colour tone is luxuriously rich in colour. (Don’t get it confused with a neglected aesthetic.) It’s definitely on trend and a high-end finish. You can achieve the grey with Equisol’s Grey Colourtone on both Spotted Gum and Blackbutt, two of Australia’s most popular exterior timbers.

The Natural Deck

Natural colour trends for decking brings out the beauty of the timber’s features whilst keeping the decking nourished and in good condition. Perfect for an eco-themed design. Even though it looks beautiful, uncoated timber doesn’t weather very well. Applying Equisol’s E365 penetrating oil allows the timber to be protected from the elements without altering the glamorous look of an uncoated finish. This approach can also be used for outdoor furniture or exterior timber wall features. We have even used Equisol on the surface timber of luxury yachts. The penetrating oil sinks into the timber allowing it to breathe. This enables a longer lifespan for your exterior surface and maintains a deck which is beautiful to walk on.

Here are our top tips for keeping your Australian deck in excellent condition.

1. Determine what kind of product was used on your deck previously.
If your deck has been coated with an oil based product it will not be shiny or appear to have a film on the surface. It may be looking dry and water soaks into the timber. If your timber is no longer beading then it is not water repellent. Water will start penetrating and decaying the timber.
If your deck has had a polyurethane coating, it may be appear hazy with cracks in the film or film lifting/peeling. This surface is not compatible with penetrating oils and will need to be removed completely prior to coating. This coating usually needs to be stripped and sanded.

2. Sand the deck if there is cracked/weathered timber.
Penetrating oils will not smooth the surface of your timber, and are usually designed to enhance the beauty of the grain. Do the work and get that deck as smooth as possible. You won’t regret it! If your deck is large, we recommend hiring professional sanding equipment to do the job.

3. Make sure all sanding dust is removed by sweeping/vacuuming and hosing off.

4. Clean your deck with Equisol Vitalise.
Bird and bat droppings, grease and food stains from barbeques, dust and dirt are the enemies of a good looking deck. These stains need to be removed with a timber cleaner such as Equisol Vitalise. The ingredients in our cleaners lift dirt and old colour out of the timber to create a surface ready to receive its nourishing coating of Equisol Pro E365.

5. Wait until dry and apply one coat of Equisol Pro E365 with a professional applicator tool.

6. Once dry (24hrs) inspect your deck. Do not apply more than two coats.

Moisture is not necessarily your enemy, though.

Timber is a natural product. Treat it that way.

That’s why we love it, right? It’s a natural building material which has been in service since humans started to construct the most rudimentary of shelters.

However, being natural, it needs maintenance, protection and some understanding.

A tree uses the xylem (little tubes) to transport moisture using capillary action. Therefore timber has a natural moisture content. The moisture content may be as low as 40% but can be as high as 180%. Once we cut the timber, and mill it, some of this moisture naturally dissipates over time. Freshly cut timber is called ‘unseasoned’. That is, it has not been exposed to the elements or a kiln to dry out to a moisture content matched to its intended environment (this could be 12% for indoor flooring in Victoria and around 16% for outdoor decking in June in Victoria). It is advisable to check the Australian Standards for timber moisture for your use and your location. For particular species research, there is a great resource HERE.

Unseasoned timber is cheaper to purchase. However you need to be very aware of the possible movement you can expect due to moisture loss and detail your design accordingly. Unseasoned timber is well known for checking, shrinkage and warping.

However, even seasoned timber will absorb moisture from the environment, and be affected by weather and traffic. It’s generally recommended to protect the natural surface with a coating. On exterior decks, the preferred coating is a decking oil so you can preserve the beauty of the natural timber aesthetic (and cope with the changes in weather).

Penetrating Oil is patchy, sticky and not drying? You have a moisture issue.

Significant moisture inside timber is a problem for a coating. And the old adage that oil and water don’t mix is absolutely correct. Moisture, either in the timber or on the surface, makes it difficult for a penetrating oil to go beyond the surface. If oil does not penetrate, it can leave a film-like coating on the surface that doesn’t bind well with the fibres, (ie. expect flaking and patchiness), and it has a hard job protecting the timber because effectively there is still water between the oil and the wood fibre. If you continually re-coat on top of this situation, the result is not going to be pretty! It’s like a face cream applied to wet skin, which behaves just like an oil slick. Timber behaves similarly.

Traditional oil coating products require a low moisture content in the timber for the oil to penetrate better. The Australian Standard is a 9-14% moisture content. However, it takes weeks for unseasoned timber to dry to this level. Timber is also naturally hygroscopic, which means its moisture levels are affected by the air around it and the percentage will continually rise and fall depending on climate conditions. In a highly humid or wet environment, it may never reach an ideal percentage.

Equisol’s stabilising oil has been developed with special moisture penetrants to allow the oil through the water barrier where it can be absorbed. It allows the inherent moisture in the timber to evaporate over time, and lets humidity back in – letting the timber breathe!

Without this technology, other oils cannot penetrate the water barrier, and don’t dry, eventually becoming sticky and patchy. Some can take weeks to dry, and leave oily residues. Equisol is dry enough to walk on within 48 hours.

Equisol can handle higher moisture levels.

We have successfully applied Equisol to decks with moisture content as high as 24%. These were fairly extreme conditions and the circumstances dictated the risk.

Equisol’s superior moisture control comes with some added benefits too.

FASTER DRYING. This minimises things that can go wrong while you are waiting for the timber to dry.

ABSORPTION. As the oil gets absorbed it will not leave wet edge marks. Dirt or leaves will also not stick during application process.

NO PATCHES. Shady areas will suffer from patchiness. Non-uniform moisture content across a deck (for instance shady zones) are often troublesome for surface coatings.

Plus, Equisol can work in a wider moisture band, so you can coat on days that are hot, sunny, humid or cold. Depending on where you live, that gives you more flexibility and less concern about the weather turning inclement half way through your coating or drying time.

Finally, pre-coating made easy. Available direct from TasmanKB, with no mess and less work. Specially designed machines apply Equisol’s unique stabilising oil consistently on all four sides for an even thickness.

Formulated for the extreme Australian environments, the clear oil penetrates into the timber, allowing moisture and heat to escape, whilst retaining the natural feel of wood.

Available for pine, merbau, spotted gum, blackbutt, ironbark and other timber species. Can be applied to decking, cladding, lining and many other products.

To order or enquire, contact your local timber supplier for a 7 day delivery without additional freight costs outside of standard delivery.

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Get ahead of the compliancy curve

The September 2019 Timber Queensland Technical Data Sheets now advise that decking built under 400mm off the ground is now to be pre-coated with a water repellant decking oil as the minimum standard.

Pre-coating your external timber before installation is not just less mess – it’s also good sense.