Heavy stripping, careful nylon brush sanding, targeted board replacement, and natural-tone finishing.
This 35m² Spotted Gum deck in Narrabeen had been recoated repeatedly for around a decade, leaving the surface with a heavy, painted appearance that hid the natural timber grain. The owners wanted to restore the deck rather than replace it, keep as much original timber as possible, and achieve a light, natural Spotted Gum finish. Around 20 linear metres of damaged boards also required careful replacement and matching.
The main challenge was removing years of coating build-up without unnecessarily reducing the remaining board thickness. Previous restorations had already taken the original 19mm decking down to around 17mm, so aggressive sanding was not suitable. Rusted screws added further difficulty, while every replacement board had to be thickness-matched and levelled carefully so the new Spotted Gum blended naturally with the existing deck.
Restoring an already thinned hardwood deck requires restraint as much as power. Our approach focused on removing the failed coatings, preserving the remaining Spotted Gum thickness, replacing only genuinely damaged boards, and preparing both old and new timber to accept a consistent natural finish.
We fully stripped the accumulated coatings, rejuvenated the timber and treated the new Spotted Gum to activate and remove tannins. The existing deck was then carefully prepared with nylon brush sanding, avoiding excessive material removal while cleaning the grain and creating the correct surface for finishing.
Around 20 linear metres of damaged Spotted Gum were replaced. New boards were passed through a thicknesser to match the existing 17-18mm deck and installed level with the surrounding timber. We then applied one coat of Haymes UVEX Primer followed by two coats of Haymes Dexpress Natural across the full deck.
The completed deck has regained the light, natural appearance of Spotted Gum without the heavy painted look it had developed over the years. New and existing boards sit level and blend closely together, while the original timber has been preserved wherever practical. The result is a refreshed, protected deck that looks cohesive and natural again.
We cannot believe the transformation of our timber deck. From drab with too many coatings over the years to beautifully restored by Deck Care. We can now clearly see the grain in the timber. A wonderful result thanks to Saba and the Deck Care team. Detailed quoting , full explanation of what is required and fast prompt communication. We cannot recommend them highly enough.
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