Telephone 01803 813 803 / 01752 600 066 - Monday to Friday 7.30 a.m - 5.00 p.m
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Deck care
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Deck care 
The first step in caring for your decking is to ensure that it is installed carefully – all cross cuts on posts, joists and deckboards should have been treated with Ensele end-grain treatment (not necessary with our hardwood decking). Any bushes or undergrowth should be cut back from the decking to allow the timber to dry naturally otherwise an excessive algae build-up might develop.Before any maintenance treatment is carried out it is recommended to begin by carefully power-washing the decking to remove fungal growth, surface dirt and grit. The type of maintenance treatment will depend on what type of timber has been used for decking – we will concentrate here on redwood decking products. One of our most popular products is Liberon Decking Cleaner - ideal for cleaning old, tired and dirty natural wooden decking which has dulled and faded over time. It helps to remove black spotting caused by mould or lichen from most types of wood and thoroughly prepares the timber for re-oiling. It also helps prevent the re-growth of fungi, keeping the timber looking at its best. Keeping your grip Any exterior surface can become slippery, especially where there has been a build up of algae. This is one of the reasons we recommend customers power hose and then brush their decking twice a year. Additionally you can use Liberon Anti-slip Coating which provides a non-slip surface on very smooth and humid interior and exterior flooring. A clear coating, it is suitable for use on cement, concrete, stone, paving and of course wood. It is ideal for use on smooth and slippery flooring, or in areas of high humidity such as patios, decking, utility rooms and swimming pools. Fading colours When our decking boards are supplied they normally have a green tinge to them, this is perfectly normal and is a green dye used in the Tanalith process. This green colour gradually changes into a more mellow light brown colour and then to a dullish grey. This discolouration is primarily caused by ultraviolet light. Some customers prefer to keep this mellow grey finish, but others will want to put a little colour back into the product. Customers wishing to maintain the original colour of the decking need to buy a product with a good UV inhibitor to slow down the effects of this process. However, some pigment is needed in the treatment to provide effective UV protection - clear treatments generally provide minimal UV protection. Treatments that contain a colour pigment will provide better UV protection as well as introducing extra colour into the decking. Rain, rain go away At Southern Timber we stock products that have been pressure treated, usually with Tanalith E – and we usually refer to these products as tanalised. This is a vacuum process where the timber is pressure impregnated with a preservative to reduce fungal decay. While it proves far more effective than dipping or spraying timbers a small amount of regular maintenance will provide extra protection against fading and weathering and keep your decking looking good for longer. While we can’t stop the rain we can help slow down its decaying effects. Timber is a natural product and absorbs moisture from the surrounding air – this means timber tends to expand when wet and shrink when dry. In summer months this can lead to some cracking in decking timbers. This is perfectly normal and when the wet weather returns the timber will tend to swell and the cracks will close again. We stock a range of Sadolin, Ronseal and Liberon products which penetrate into the timber to help preserve the timber and then provide a surface coating to minimise absorption of rainwater & moisture. These products will be added to the website during Spring 2009. |
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