How to Protect and Colour your Decking

Prepare for Spring

Winter is nearly over the days are getting longer, the morning sunrises brighter on a still frosty morning, the bulbs are emerging from the ground and the buds on the apple blossom. It's time to enjoy your garden again and start thinking about your vision for your 2022 garden spaces. Prepare those beds and borders, placing pots and planters as well as tidying up the decking and fences.

The temperatures will still be low for a little while longer and we can still expect some frosts, so keep an eye on your garden wildlife and make sure they have access to fresh water and some extra food. Providing the ground isn't frozen, cultivate and prepare your beds, finish winter grading and add soil improvers to set yourself up for a great growing season.

 

Add Colour with Flowers

Add in some early colour with Daffodils that will flower until May and return every year. If you are looking for something that will flower all throughout the summer then Dahlias and Begonia are good choices, and to add in some extra colour Lilies and Gladioli are a great choice and will flower in a short vibrant burst.

To add structure to the garden throughout the year then evergreens like Ericaceous plants such as Azaleas, Camelias, Rhododendrons and Magnolias are a good choice. From February until May, these plants bring stunning early flowers a welcome freshness as the season changes.

Also, if you are looking to get the family involved in gardening then a perfect, fun and simple project to do is to start growing some raspberries. These can be planted anytime from November to March as long as the ground isn't water-logged or frozen.

 

Fencing & Decking

To plan your garden and dining spaces add in more decking and walkways, use designer garden colours which blend with your flowers and plants to make it more aesthetically pleasing. For the wood either use Demidekk stains which bring subtle natural colours to your space or use Demidekk Ultimate to add bold colours which can highlight garden features or cut a striking contrast with the natural surroundings.

The most common type of decking boards are pressure treated softwoods derived from confiners such as firs, pines and larch. Around 80% of timber derives from softwoods as they are economic, lighter and used in decking's, buildings, fencing and sheds.

However, through the winter months this type of timber may deteriorate, and the wood might have mould and moss spreading. If the wood is left untreated then this will result in rotting and long-term damage.

 

What is the difference between paints and stains?

Both paint and stain are used to protect, preserve and decorate timber by covering it with a pigmented coating. The main difference between paint and stain is that paint will form a hard layer over the timber which offers protection from mechanical impact and abrasion, whereas stain is used to penetrate the wood deeply to highlight the grain, intensify wood tones and change the appearance. Some stains available in the market are formulated to a low price reducing the solids and protective qualities by adding water. They quickly fade and require regular re-staining every year.

 

Demidekk Terrasslasyr

Selecting a Terrace Glaze like Demidekk Terrasslasyr will make sure that the substrate doesn't need regular maintenance. It will protect your decking from discolouring, absorbing moisture and blackening due to fungal growth. Developed in Norway by Jotun it is formulated for countries with harsh winter climates, providing long term protection in freezing damp conditions.

Demidekk Terrasslasyr provides a durable water-resistant surface with a decorative finish that highlights the grain of the wood, with over three years protection in just one coat. This water-based Terrace Glaze is an ecological and sustainable product designed for preserving outdoor wood and pressure impregnated woods that are used for patio decking, garden furniture and balcony floors. It provides a highly protective coating that helps shield exterior wood from water, harmful UV rays and algae growth. Avace manufactures this product in a range of 16 different colours in 3lt packs for free delivery throughout the UK.

 

Demidekk Ultimate

Unlike stain, opaque coatings such as Demidekk Ultimate protects the timber by covering it with a durable protective film providing long-term weather resistance as well as excellent colour and gloss retention in an exterior environment. Jotun Demidekk Ultimate will protect decking and fencing for up to 12 years and suppress mould and fungal growth. This flexible coating makes it perfect for wooden fences, sheds, summerhouses, timber cladding and all exterior wood.

Demidekk Ultimate is a popular choice for architects, professional painters and exterior designers due to its quick and easy application and diverse colour palette. It can be mixed to almost any colour, offering both traditional and contemporary hues. Use our colour palette to find your perfect shade or you have a particular colour in mind, get in touch with our customer service team and we will help you with your colour selection.

 

Demidekk Infinity

For Doors and Windows Demidekk Infinity, is the ideal choice. It is a self-cleaning durable wood paint for windows and doors that provides up to 12 years life expectancy as well as excellent colour and gloss retention. Demidekk Infinity is used for speed of application it is fast drying and rain resistant in one hour.

This exterior durable wood paint contains film conserving agents, is easy to apply and produces a weather resistant, durable coating with excellent mould resistance. Available in 1lt and 3lt packs in a wide range of NCS, RAL and BS Colours in a semi matt finish (50%).

 

 

 

 

How do I prepare the deck prior to painting?

For the best results, make sure that your surface is clean, sound and dry before painting. High pressure washing is recommended for cleaning old decking as it removes all dirt, mould and loosely adhering paint. Alternatively, the surface can be scrubbed thoroughly using a hard bristle brush and a water-soluble detergent.

If fungal growth is present you can treat the area using a 5% diluted household bleach which after 15 minutes should be rinsed thoroughly with fresh water.

Once dry, sand down any sharp edges and remove all loose fibers and dust. If the surface has existing paint on it then it should be sanded to remove all loose material and feathered back to a sound edge. For a useful guide to help you through the cleaning process take a look at this article by lovethegarden.

 

How to paint decking?

Once the deck has been cleaned and all garden furniture has been removed from the area then you can start to apply your Demidekk Colour . If you need to remove old existing stain consider Demidekk Terrafix.

Whether you have smooth or grooved decking boards, there are many ways to paint a deck. One of the best ways is to apply it with a paint sprayer as this provides the quickest finish, or you can use a paint brush for the corners and a roller for the larger surface area.

For Demidekk Ultimate  it should be stirred well before use and one full coat should be applied longitudinally along the wood, it is fast drying and will be touch dry in 30 minutes. After 2 hours a second coat should be applied for the best protection. Stains should be left to penetrate the wood, the colour can be developed by adding additional coats. It will be dust dry within 3 hours and ready for use after 8 hours.

The best way to apply either a paint or stain is to start from the handrail or highest part of the deck to avoid any drips falling onto finished areas. Then stain the vertical and horizontal members of the rail, making sure that you cover any underside areas. Afterwards you can stain the main deck surface, it is recommended that you carry a brush or cloth to brush out any spillages.

 

What colours can I choose to create a beautiful garden space?

You can match a deck to a warm, rich hard and soft landscaping palette. If the decking is adjacent to the house, tonally matching the interior floor with the decking colour can help create a sense of space and bring the outside in. Using metallic planters can add a bright finish to the deck.

 Using subtle grey colours for the deck puts the focus on the most colourful elements of a garden, which might be an array of flowers or a permanent feature like a blue painted wall.

Another combination includes creating a continuous effect, if your decking has fencing around it then choosing a colour you can use to paint both the decking and fence will help create an outdoor room. Select a shade that will reflect the light and keep the exterior room bright and open.

Also, using nature to design a deck is a great way to create a harmonizing look. For example, having tress that bring shade will work well with a dark-coloured deck as it will help echo the shade of the bark. You can find some interesting tips in Homes&Gardens

Demidekk Ultimate has the widest range of colours in the market with over 2000 colour to create a unique garden space. It is available in most NCS colours in a matt finish, the NCS (Natural Colour System) originates from Scandinavia and includes 1750 unique garden colours. All these colours are available for free next day delivery.

 

Inspirational Colours

For inspirational colours and ideas on interior and exterior design, head over to Avacedesign on Instagram for top decorating tips.