Rejuvenation of Old Timber

The first thing that must be done to rejuvenate old timber is to check that there are no rotting pieces. It’s easy to check if the timber is rotted by simply pressing a screwdriver into it. If the screwdriver pushes easily into the timber and the timber fibres breakaway then the rotted timber needs to be replaced.

There are basically three processes, which can be used to prepare old timber for re-oiling and finishing.

One method is to completely sand the timber back to bare timber and then wash the timber with a timber cleaner and brightener. It is very important that the timber is washed after sanding with the timber cleaner and brightener or the timber will go a very dark colour when the oil or finishing product is applied. Complete sanding of a deck is usually reserved for timber that is in a very poor state or a colour change is desired.

The second method is to use a chemical timber stripping gel to remove old and worn finishes. Once the stripping gel has penetrated the old finish a paint scrapper is used to remove the blistered and softened old finish. The timber must then be washed down with a timber cleaning and brightening treatment.

The third method is to soak the timber with a timber cleaning and brightening solution, scrub it in vigorously and power wash it off before it dries on the surface. This method will usually remove most contaminates and loose or flaking finishes.

Once the timber has been sanded, chemically stripped and cleaned, it is then ready for the finishing oil treatment. We always apply three coats when working over bare timber. This will give a beautiful deep colour and long lasting finish.