We were asked by a customer what we could do to improve the appearance of their garden decking, which was extremely weathered and had accumulations dirt, grime and surface algae. As you can see below, this was not only making the decking unattractive, but also dangerously slippery when wet.
Our decking revival service was perfect for the job at hand and we were excited to to see the final transformation which would allow our customer to get far more enjoyment out of their garden - as well as minimising the risk of them slipping over.
Stage 1 - Cleaning & Brightening
Firstly, the decking was swept and hosed down to remove any loose debris. We then needed to kill the organic growth (algae) and loosen any dirt and grime. We achieved this by carefully applying a biocide and a sodium percarbonate solution, which was then rinsed off using a low pressure cleaning method to remove the loosened dirt and grime.
Once the decking had been cleaned, we applied an oxalic acid solution to brighten the wood by removing any surface weathering, or 'greying'. The acidic nature of the solution also brings the PH of the wood back into balance, which will prolong it's life.
In addition to cleaning the decking, we also cleaned the brick and stonework in the garden by using high pressure water and applying a biocide solution to remove the blackspot and lichen.
The photos below show a huge improvement and we're now half way into the transformation.
Stage 2 - Colour & Protect
When it comes to protecting and adding colour to decking, we strongly advise against the use of paint or decking stain. Whilst they sometimes offer more variety of colour and look good when initially applied, they do not last very long and often flake, peel or blister after a short time which makes the decking look worse than it did before. This is due to the fact that decking paints and stains form a layer on top of the wood rather than penetrating into the fibres. We always recommend the use of premium decking oils, which last far longer and do not flake, peel or blister as the oil penetrates into the wood itself - although it can be slightly more expensive initially, it works out far more economical in the long run as it last far longer.
Our customer opted for dark oak decking oil, which was applied in two coats with 24 hours curing time between each one. This was a great choice as darker colours offer greater protection against UV damage and will prolong the life of decking even more - plus it almost matched the colour of the fencing, which was a bonus.
As you can see below, our decking revival service totally transformed the look of our customer's garden - and has protected the decking allowing them to enjoy it for many years to come.
For more information on our Decking Revival Service or to request a quotation, please click here to find our contact details or fill in the short form for us to get back to you.
For more information or to request a free survey / bespoke quotation, please do get in touch
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