How to restore a grey and weathered deck in one day

How to restore a grey and weathered deck in one day

Weather takes its toll on timber! Sun and moisture can make it go grey, start to split and crack. But restoring and maintaining your timber will not only bring it back to life but also make it last longer. 

Cabot’s Aquadeck is a water-based decking oil and offers a fast recoat time of 1 hour, so you can finish in a day and get back to enjoying life on your deck!

And it’s not all that hard when you get the right gear from your local Mighty Helpful Mitre 10.

Materials list

Step 1: Prepare your timber

Before coating, you need to check if the timber is ready for coating. The water bead test is an easy method to confirm whether the timber requires further preparation or if it’s ready for coating.

Drip some water on the surface; if it absorbs into the timber, it's ready to coat. However, if it beads on the surface; there's still some residual surface coating that needs to be removed. If it's old and patchy: lntergrain UltraPrep Tannin and Oil Remover will do the trick; but if the coating is still intact, you'll need to sand or strip the coating off.

Step 2: Clean your timber with Cabot's Deck Clean

To ensure your coating adheres to the timber, you will need to remove any surface dirt and contaminants. Mix Cabot's Deck Clean solution with 4 parts water and use the Deck Prep scrubbing broom to scrub it into the timber. Wait for 20 minutes, then wash off. For weathered grey timber, Cabot’s Deck Clean will help break down the grey timber fibres and bring your timber back to a neutral colour for coating.

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Step 3: Apply Cabot's Aquadeck

When the timber is dry it’s ready to coat with Cabot's Aquadeck.

Give it a good stir to ensure the colour is even throughout the can, then pour it into the Cabot’s Deck Hand bucket. Cut in around the edges with a brush where required.

Apply using the Deck Coat lambswool applicator, covering 3-4 boards at a time in long strokes. Work along the full length of the boards, rather than across to ensure consistency and that no edges appear mid-board. Wipe over any drips immediately to ensure they don’t dry as this will leave spots.

Apply 2 coats leaving 1 hour between each coat.

For more Mighty Helpful service and advice, speak to the team at your local Mighty Helpful Mitre 10.

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