These days the price and availability of Australian Hardwood Decking has become rediculous. No wonder Australians more than ever are opting for a Merbau deck. The main problem with it obviously is the colour and the constant tannin staining.

LiteniT can change all that by removing the dark colour to give you a great looking deck you will be proud of.

It's very important to properly prepare the deck for bleaching.

New decks do have a coating on them called mill glaze. During production high temperatures from the blades cause oils & extractives in the wood to form a glaze on the surface. If your new deck is not cleaned in order to remove any mill glaze, it will prevent any type of decking finish from bonding and penetrate the wood.

You will need to use CUTEK® Restore with a stiff broom. Scrub it and use a pressure washer to rinse it off. Be careful with the pressure washer so that it does not cut into the wood. Always work in direction of grain. Or you can sand the mill glaze off if you prefer.

Old decks need to be sanded to remove all the old stain and coatings or you will end up with a patchy result. It stands out like dogs balls in custard.

If you are unable to sand it due to dome nails that can't be punched or proud screws/fasteners, use a paint stripper such as CUTEK® Wood Stripper. Don't be lazy! Do it properly!

Water is the only thing that activates the tannin. After sanding or stripping mill glaze or old coatings, you need to hose down the deck every day for a week. As it dries it pulls the tannin to the surface. The worst of course is Merbau although other timbers will do it to to some extent. You will know after the first time it gets wet.

This will flush out the majority of the tannin, but of course you won't get it all. We will discuss later how the right choice of finish will make a difference.

Once you have completed all the prep steps, and the deck is dry it is time for bleaching. Check the weather forcast and aim for a day without rain. It's ok if it rains after the bleaching and rinsing is complete.

1 x clear plastic watering can with the shower rose attached.

Applicators: options.

2 x white utility pads + 1 x velcro based flat mop.

Synthetic (not real) lambskin type with pole.

Soft indoor broom.

Mix equal parts of A & B in a clean, clear plastic watering can. Only mix up the amount you will need for the first coat. About 8-10m2 per litre of mixed. Pour a small amount of the mix into a clean plastic container for cutting in the edges & corners.

With a synthetic brush, apply a generous amount to the edges and corners around posts being careful not to get it over painted surfaces as it will blister waterbased paint. It won't damage glass, metals or powder-coated objects.

Just keep topping up the container with small amounts at a time or it will boil over.

Decks have gaps between the boards so we use the watering can with the shower rose to minimise waste of product between the boards.

Pour from the watering can at about 40cm above the deck so it's not splashing everywhere. Pour it down the line with the boards to the end. Then use the applicator to spread the solution over that first section blending into the edges. Just repeat until that whole area of is coated.

Once that area is covered, go back to where you first started and go over it again with the applicator up and down the boards to redistribute the product working it into the edges.

It's a key element of the application to achieve an even result.

This is when you will notice if you missed any of the old coatings. Just use a hand scraper to remove it and continue on with the second coat.

90 mins after you have applied the first coat, repeat the application process again. It does not matter if some parts are dry and some not. If you had some product left in the can from the first coat, use that first and then top up the can. Important! like any 2-part product, once they are mixed together it's activated.

There is a chemical reaction that creates heat and a gas (oxygen) The mix in the can will bubble away gently there for a few hours as you are pouring it directly onto the deck. Be mindful of where you leave the can, (not in the sun) as any remaning mix in the can will boil over eventually.

You can start the cleaning process 90 mins after the second coat has been applied. It does not matter if some of the deck is dry and some not. When required, you may start the cleaning the next day.

The easiest way to rinse the deck after bleach is with the power washer. The pressure does not need to be too high. Just on a fan spray and use it like a broom to clean & rinse all the residue from the surface.

Pictured here is a very common situation where you have a covered deck, though the outer areas are exposed to the elements. An even silver patina look is not achievable in this situation. So to keep a consistant appearance and protection a tinted penetrating oil finish is required. We recommend CUTEK® EXTREME CD50 and mixing in one of the CUTEK® Colourtones. Either the WHITE WASH or GREY MIST at double strength will usually be the best match after the LiteniT treatment.

An uncovered deck.

The best way to go is bleach it with LiteniT, coat it with CUTEK® Extreme CD50 and let it go to that nice silver grey patina. Practically maintenance free after that. Particularly around pools and gardens you dont need the ongoing maintenance, having to recoat the deck every 6-12 months.

Bleached with LiteniT, most species will start to have the silvery patina after 3 weeks depending on the weather.

Species like Merbau will take a little longer because of the strong tannin.

The CUTEK® Extreme CD50 will diffuse and penetrate deeply into timber for long-lasting protection. It will minimise warping, cupping and splitting.

The deck pictured above gets absolutely flogged by patrons there for parties and events.

Even Merbau is no match for the power of LiteniT.

Pictured above is a Merbau deck which is only partially covered.

Sanded and bleached with LiteniT now receiving its first coat of Cutek with the white wash colourtone.

That's how you transform Merbau to Merwow in a matter of days.

Pictured above is a new Merbau deck in a new home. It was bleached with LiteniT which left it a light straw colour. Then it rained non stop for weeks. They did not get a chance to oil it.

A large percentage of the boards appear a nice silver grey while others are not quite there. This due to tannins still leaching out from the rain and staining those boards.

They will eventually grey off like the others. Though the CUTEK® EXTREME CD50, if it had been applied, would have minimised this issue.

Even at this stage you could now apply the Cutek to protect the wood and it would then still continue to grey off.