Decking Maintenance Season

Now that winter is behind us and we’re well into spring, its time to think about decking maintenance. The bueaty of Preschem’s Aussie Clear range and Exterior Pine Clear is that they’re dead simple to re-apply. And the results are simply stunning. But first we do need to run through some simple preparation to achieve the perfect finish.

Product Selection

Preschem has 3 options for decking oils to apply. Lets quickly run through them so you know which one to choose.

Aussie Clear is designed to use on mid to dark toned hardwood timbers. It will darken the timbers appearance and when applied correctly, will have a matt finish.

Aussie Clear Light is intended for use on blond to mid toned hardwood timbers. Like the original Aussie Clear, it is lightly pigmented, but the colour is designed to suit a light coloured timber. It will look more or less like wet straw.

Exterior Pine Clear is specifically formulated for treated Radiata Pine. It is not suitable for hardwood timbers. This product contains no pigment so wont alter the colour apart from giving it an oiled appearance.

Deck Preparation

Preschem has written about this before in other news posts, but lets recap on why the preparation of your deck is important and how to go about that.

Since your last application of Aussie Clear or Exterior Pine Clear, the weathering has slowly effected the timber. The surface will also have built up a little dirt and grime. The best way to tell about this weathering is to simply wet the deck. If it’s going dark grey and lifeless, then thats the weathering. Even if it looks good when wet, there will be a bit of weathering occuring. To be sure, Preschem recommends you use Grey Deck Cleaner. The steps are very simple. On the day before you apply the decking oil:

  • Read the safety direction on the label and weat the required PPE
  • Pour 1kg of Grey Deck Cleaner in 10lt of hot water and stirr until dissolved
  • Use a deck preparation scrubbing brush to scrub the Grey Deck Cleaner
  • Wash off the Grey Deck Cleaner with a hose or better yet, a pressure cleaner with the car cleaning nozzle
  • The deck should look sensational when wet. If so, this is what the deck will look like when oiled with Aussie Clear or Exterior Pine Clear

Decking Maintenance

After you’ve allowed roughly 12-24 hour for the deck to dry, its now time to finish the job. Stir the can of Aussie Clear or Exterior Pine Clear. We recommend that you cut in the timber near walls, posts etc, then apply the oil with a lambswool applicator. Remember to wipe any excess oil off the deck after 1-2 hours. If the deck needs a second coat, then apply after 24 hours, but remember to be very careful here as you can over oil the deck.

To Find the nearest stockist for these products, click this link to our stockist page or call us toll free on 180 641 711.