cleaning decks

[mrcrow]

i have 2 areas of deck

the first hasnt been treated at all and is grey

the second has had decking stain and i think oil put on it in the past

i want to clean both and then treat hopefully without staining, or if so a light oak

i have been googling all the stuff and the youtube films and am a bit confused..

any advice greatly appreciated

cheers
geof

 

[r896neo]

you will never be able to stain a deck that has been previously oiled.
Stripping decking stain is pure hell but if you did it you could oil over the bare wood or stain again if you liked.

As for general cleaning hypochlorite bleach watered down about 4:1 sprayed on and left for 20 mins then scrubbed hard will shift any ingrained grime.

Be careful of the run off though. Deck magic and the like are ok too.

You can also powerwash it but this really lifts the grain and makes it attract even more dirt in the future and also makes staining or oiling more difficult.

 

[mrcrow]

thanks

i do see the problem...we discussed tonight with my partner and thought an alternatice would be to prepare for deck paint...or gagage floor paint and just go for a twee colour scheme...not white though...probably light grey

what do you think

cheers
geof