Category: Gardens by Peter Donegan Garden Design

This image is not the complete picture of the finished hardwood deck. It was almost there at this point… the video below tells a better story why and this posting may just help you to a better finish of your decking.

My tips pre starting:

• only use a pressure treated and treated timber for your base
• get your levels 110% spot on – this takes time and take your time.
• remember the measure twice cut once rule
• timber is a natural product. It’s not plastic and therfore will change colour and maybe even shape. This is allowed and should happen. It is wood.

There are a couple of things to note when working with a hardwood deck timber.

• Pre drilling ensures the timber doesn’t split
• Also the deck screws won’t rust and with its own drill bit, chances are it won’t slip off and scratch the timber

That may well be a little more time and money, but well, well worth it.

The deck oils are really something else in bringing up the woods natural colours. Again, a little more time and money but well worth it. The video, pardon the cliché’d pun, paints a better picture. Do note this was recorded and pictures taken just after painting.

The paint is applied with a paint brush and goes on pretty much like water. Please, please, please make sure it is sparkling clean before applying and that the days saw dust is well away just in case in gets windy. Also it needs [one pound or a thousand] about 6 hours to dry. I say stay off it for 12 hours.

Important: this is not a varnish and there are oils to match the various woods. I used the Osmo bangkiri oil. Of the manufacturer’s notes I found the following relevant:

They produce a smooth satin-matt surface, which is very water-resistant, dirt repellent and easy to maintain and re-finish. Osmo Wood Oils have a very high coverage and are very easy to apply (thixotropic). The micro-porous finishes – based on natural vegetable oils will allow the wood to breathe and helps to regulate the moisture content reducing swelling and shrinkage, the finish will not crack, flake, peel or blister. To maintain simply apply a further coat (no sanding required).

The surface is easy to maintain, conforms to the German standard DIN 68861-1C and is resistant against cleaning materials, wine, beer, soft drinks, coffee, tea, fruit juices, milk and water etc.

Osmo Wood Oils are based on natural vegetable oils. Natural oils penetrate deeply into the wood, keeping it elastic and healthy and preventing it from drying and becoming brittle. The wood is allowed to breathe, this allows moisture to escape and helps reduce shrinking and swelling.

Osmo Wood Oils contain neither biocides nor preservatives. They are safe for man, animal and plant when dry and comply with German DIN 53160 (fast to perspiration and saliva) and Euro Norm EN 71 (suitable for children’s toys.)

Making a trap door for access to drains really couldn’t be simpler. Again it may take a little time but two battons at the back and taking the time after the deck has been laid to lift up all of the necessary boards will be worth it in the long run. The only thing out of sinc that you may notice en mass may simply be the screws.

All in all, decks can look really something else and there is a major difference in finish between that of the hardwood and the softwood [which I have seen ripped out to mant times after just a few years]. My two cents…. buy once, buy right, treat it well and it will be there for life.

I don’t think I’ve left anything out…. if I have just leave a comment below.