How to strip treated decking and wood surfaces

When you are planning a new finish for your decking, or attempting a repair damage such as peeling or flaking, you will first need to strip any existing coatings from the surface.

This is not as difficult or as laborious as you may expect and can be carried out quite quickly by using Prepdeck high grade wood stripper.

What tools do I need to strip my deck?

You will need the following tools to strip your decking:

• Stiff Bristled Nylon Brush or Broom
• Synthetic Brush
• Prepdeck
• Net-Trol

How to strip decking with Prepdeck

• Work in areas that can be completed in 15-30 minutes.
• First, apply Prepdeck wood stripper (in dilution recommended for your wood type – see the packaging) with a synthetic brush to the area to be stripped or cleaned and leave it to work.
• After an appropriate time, test a small area with a nylon scrubbing brush to see if the finish or dirt is lifting.
• If it is, scrub the area with a stiff nylon brush, deck brush or a Power Washer at 1000-1500 psi (70-103 bars). The psi will vary depending on the type of the wood. Remember to always work in the direction of the grain during this step.
• Then, simply with copious amounts of fresh water. Use the highest pressure from the water source available or use a Power Washer at 500-1000 psi (35-70 bars). The use of hot water makes this job easier.

Make sure you neutralise your wood!

Once you have finished stripping the deck, you will need to neutralise the wood. This is because paint strippers are strong chemicals, which if left on the surface can prevent finishes from adhering. This is a simple process and can be completed using Net-Trol wood cleaner.

How to apply Net-Trol

• Wet the surface with clean water
• While still wet, apply Net-Trol with a synthetic brush
• Scrub the surface thoroughly with a stiff brush
• Leave it to work for 10-20 minutes
• Then simply scrub the surface whilst rinsing with water

What next?

Your decking is now ready to apply a finish! However, before doing so you should ensure that you leave the wood to dry for at least 48 hours first.

We would recommend using a high quality protective treatment to ensure your deck stays at its best. There are a range of different options depending on the look you are going for. All of our Owatrol solutions provide excellent protection against damage caused by UV rays and moisture.

Here are a few of the finishes we have to offer:

• Textrol penetrating wood oil. It saturates and protects the wood from within whilst maintaining and enhancing the natural look of the wood.
• If you have a hardwood decking, you could opt to use Deks Olje D1, another saturating wood oil.
• Decking Paint is a premium long-lasting finish for decking which gives a rich opaque matt finish. It is guaranteed against peeling or flaking for 5 years on decking!
• You could also use Solid Colour Stain which is available in 35 different colours; we are sure you will find a colour to suit your needs.
• If you would prefer a water-based finish, then why not try Aquadecks matt wood finish.

---

We hope you found this post on how to strip previously treated decking interesting. If you have any other advice or top tips, please feel free to leave them in the comments below. We love hearing from you!

You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest at @OwatrolUK or find us under the hashtag #OwatrolUK