There are a few rules to follow if you want your decking to last as long as possible. First and foremost, you should use good materials and protect the wood properly.
Care for wooden patios is the same no matter what kind of wood they are made of; care that is done regularly and right is very important. If you take your time and do things right, you won’t have to do as much maintenance.
We’ll talk about how to deal with how the wood in the garden shows signs of age and wear and tear.
Protect wooden decking from the start
After placing the substructure and the floorboards for the deck, the first surface treatment can be done a few days later. Please find out how long your floorboards need to weather before you treat them for the first time.
The length of time varies based on the type of wood. Before the first treatment, wood with many wood substances should sit outside for about four weeks.
Before the first treatment, new wood and hardwoods treated with pressure should be left out in the weather for about three months.
Coating wooden decking
Decking boards can be made from ash, pine, Douglas fir, Siberian larch, or oak, among other types of wood.
They all have one thing in common: taking care of wooden floorboards is very important. After all, this is a natural product that is affected by the sun, rain, and different temperatures.
Oil is best to use if the deck boards have lost their color. Experts say that glazes would wear off too quickly when people walked on them and would no longer protect.
Glazes are almost the same as stains but have more pigment and less or no binder. They are usually put on between coats of finish.
This makes it harder to use glazes because they must be topped off without moving.
For oiling, it’s best to use decking oil or oil that goes with the type of wood.
After the oil is put on the decking, it forms a layer that protects against UV light and water. The wood is hard to walk on because the natural resins in the oil harden.
Oiling a wooden deck
Choose the right oil to take care of your deck. The wood oil makes sure that there are fewer cracks, that there is no place for insects and fungi to grow, and that there is no gray patina.
The decking oils make the surface of the wood smooth and protect it with a thin layer. This layer makes it hard for dirt and water to stick to the floorboards.
A clear oil is a good choice if you want your deck to keep its natural color. On the other hand, colored oils can bring out and refresh your deck’s original color.
Choose a day when it’s dry, there’s no wind, and, if possible, it’s cloudy to oil your patio. Because if it’s too hot and the sun is too strong, the planks dry out too fast, and the oil doesn’t get deep enough into the wood to work.
Always put the oil on three or four boards of wood flooring one after the other. This can be done with a brush or a short-haired roller. When the oil has been absorbed, start over. Then, do the same with the next three to four planks until you have finished treating the whole terrace.
How to oil wooden floorboards outdoor
Before painting or oiling decking boards, the wood must be thoroughly cleaned. You can also degreaser the floorboards if they have already turned an unsightly gray color.
This restores the original color of the wood. We’ll walk you through each step of the “painting decking” project:
Sweeping wooden floorboards
Using a broom, sweep away coarse dirt and loose leaves from the wooden boards. You can also check the screw positions at the same time.
Clean wooden floorboards with water: Scrub the floorboards gently with clear water and a scrubbing brush. A pressure washer with too much power can damage the wood. Allow drying completely, preferably for 24 hours.
Apply degreaser
Apply degreaser to the wood planks if they have already turned gray. Work the degreaser into the wood with a hard brush or scrubber after about 10 minutes.
After 20 minutes, you can hose off the degreaser residue. The surface must then be allowed to dry for at least two days.
Coating wooden floorboards
Finish the wooden floorboards with the appropriate wood oil. Using a soft flat brush, apply this thinly and evenly. The residue is wiped away with a cloth.
The deck can be reaccessed after another 24 hours.
Everyday care and basic cleaning of your wooden terrace
Everything you do outside on the patio, whether it’s barbecuing or mowing the lawn, leaves a mark on the wood. Remove coarse dirt regularly using a broom, a scrubbing brush, and water.
For tough stains, use curd soap or a deck cleaner. The terrace should then be thoroughly rinsed with water. If specific areas are damaged, oil them separately.
To keep your decking from rotting on the underside, use a leaf blower or suction shredder to regularly remove leaves and debris between the substructure and the decking.
Over time, any decking board will show signs of weathering and wear and tear. Basic cleaning entails thoroughly refreshing and sealing with a wood-specific oil.
Special wood agents remove graying on untreated terraces and restore the original color to a large extent.
Final Thought
We recommend you regularly clean and waterproof your wooden deck to extend its life.
There are various cleaning agents available for cleaning your wooden terrace. Depending on the type of dirt, different products are used.
It is best to impregnate it regularly. After cleaning, keep your terrace looking as fresh as possible.
When you treat your wood with oil, you preserve the beautiful grain and natural wood look and effectively protect it from weather damage.
Because oil is already liquid at room temperature, no solvent is required. If you use a brush to apply the oil to the surface of the wood, it will be absorbed deeply into the material. It acts as an impregnation, preventing outside water or dirt from penetrating the layer.