Ways to Treat Your Decking Board

If you are using wood decking boards, you need to regularly treat them to protect the boards from harsh weather conditions. Unlike composite decking boards, wood decking is not resistant to the weather and treating them will extend their service life, this is a key difference in long term performance when comparing composite with wood.

Ways to Treat Decking Board

One of the ideal ways to treat your boards is by applying deck stains on them. Apart from that, you can also treat your decking by applying oil all over the wood.

Deck Stains

Stains are pigment products you can use to protect hard or softwood decking boards from damage and the suns harmful UV rays. Wood boards will fade when exposed to the sun. When it rains, wood boards can absorb water and will rot over time. However, with regular treatment of staining and sealing wooden decking boards annually, it will reduce the chance of rot and decay and will last longer.

Some decking stains also contain UV protection to prevent your decking from fading. Deck stains contain pigments, although some are transparent to suit the needs of deck owners who don’t want pigmented ones. There are two types of stains; oil and water based and both are easily applied with the use of a brush, roller, or sprayer.

How to Apply Stains on Decking Boards

Applying stains on the decking board is easy, but you first have to clean your deck and remove any existing coats of stains or paints. Once the deck is clean and free from existing stains, you can begin to apply a new coat of staining.

Decking Oil

Another way to treat your decking boards is by coating it with oil. Oils are transparent and mainly enhance your colour rather than changing it, which stains can do. They are a good treatment for wood decking boards since they can penetrate deeper into your decking board than stains, further protecting them from water damage and helping to restore colour and oils lost from weathering.

Regular oil treatment on your wood decking will prevent damage from cracking, warping or splintering. Deck oils also contain UV blocks to reduce colour fading from the sun which helps to prolonging the lifespan of a wood deck.

How to Apply Oil on Decking Boards

Applying oil on decking boards is similar to that of stains. First, you need to clear and clean your decking and leave to dry.

Next, sand your decking board to remove any existing coatings on it and thoroughly rinse off. Once dry, use a paintbrush, roller, or sprayer to apply the oil to your decking. Allow to dry before applying a second coat of oil.

Conclusion

The best way to treat your decking board is by applying deck stains or deck oil. Use a roller, paintbrush, or an electric sprayer to apply the stains and oil to the decking area.