Your patio is something to be proud of. Whether you enjoy spending quiet and cosy evenings with friends or family (or alone!), or you use it to entertain guests with backyard BBQ parties and plenty of cold ones and smoked meats, you ought to be putting your beautiful patio to good use.
You should also be keeping your patio decking in great condition so that you can enjoy those pleasant evenings for the foreseeable future. A big part of protecting your patio decking from the elements is keeping it clean and making sure that it’s treated with oil or varnish. Here’s how to protect your patio decking:
Choose the Right Oil or Varnish for Your Patio Decking
The first thing you should do (if you haven’t already) to protect your patio is to choose an oil or varnish product that will offer protection from the elements. Raw, untreated timber can, if left unprotected, rot and weaken, as well as discolour from exposure to the elements. In all likelihood, your patio will be exposed to the rain and UV rays so oil or varnish are essential.
Depending on the material used for your patio decking, different types of oil or varnish can offer better protection than others. For example, a softwood decking made of pine stands to benefit greatly from varnishes with UV inhibitors, especially in Australian summers under the beating sun.
For hardwood decking, penetrating oils may be more effective since these types of decking materials often require additional protection against moisture. These oils can fill in the decking and saturate it, thereby offering superb protection against moisture which can otherwise rot your precious patio.
Preparation
Before applying any oil or varnish to your patio decking, it’s essential to prepare the surface to ensure that the application is uniform and dries properly, adhering to the surface to provide maximal protection.
Start out by cleaning the entire patio. A pressure washer is ideal for this task, but just make sure that you’re using an appropriate nozzle and pressure setting to knock away any soil or debris without damaging the surface. Rinse and allow to dry.
Afterwards, once the decking has dried, give it a careful manual inspection and see if there are any uneven bumps along the surface. Use a sander to even these out and wash away any sawdust and debris.
Application of Oil/Varnish to Your Patio Decking
Once your patio has been prepared, begin applying the oil or varnish according to the instructions. Use a roller or a brush and go along the length of the grain. Pay attention to the ends of the timber and make sure the entire surface is well-coated. Allow to dry as per the instructions.
For any follow-up coats of oil/varnish, again follow the instructions and apply liberally to the surface until the desired effect is achieved. You may need to sand down the surface in between coats (once dry, of course) if bumps appear, reapplying another coat as necessary.
Maintenance and Care for Your Freshly Coated Patio
Depending on how frequently you use your patio and the type of weather it’s exposed to, you may need to reapply oil or varnish every year or every few years to keep it looking fantastic and keeping it protected for longer.
This task can be time-consuming and laborious, so leave the task to the experts at Fairhaven Painting.
Fairhaven Painting
For affordable decking (and furniture) oil and varnish services look no further than Fairhaven Painting.
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