Thread: discoloured hardwood deck

Try a high pressure water spray on a small sample, if it removes the stain then try the joint stains, then you will have to match up the rest of the boards spraying & cleaning all the deck to match the clean joints.
regards inter

Looking at the pictures the end wood at the joints are not sealed. Discolering (and eventually rotting) at the wood-ends often is the cause of water getting into the wood and the end of the wood is where it starts.. This means the discolering is most likely not only on the surface and therefor high water pressure cleaning is not an option, any surface cleaning is not sufficiant i'm affraid. As a side note: never clean a wooden deck with high pressure.

I must add i'm not familjar with specifications of Balau.
Anyhow, Water must not be able to get under the planks too!

If i'm right about what i'm affraid off, take one piece off and inspect the wood-end and the surface where it was attached to. If they are wet or just a bit there is a problem.

I hope i'm wrong, otherwise p.m. me at [email protected] for some more help.

Originally Posted by Arnaud

Looking at the pictures the end wood at the joints are not sealed.

Not quite. From what he said, he has sealed it, using the same stuff one would reseal exposed joists & bearers with. Which is stained, and that is the problem.

But yeah, that stuff wicks into the end-grain and no amount of sanding will remove it. AFAIK the only way to get rid of it is to dock the ends off.

(I've refrained from commenting earlier, as all I can offer is: "Oops! Got any more wood?")

Most likely the stuff used trying to seal it didn't do the sealing but the wood absorbed the "sealant" and caused the discolering further in the wood.

Tip: Caulk the woodends too

First of all thanks you all for your help.
i was told ( after my discoloure problem ) that hardwood dont need to reseal the end joints is this correct?

The discoloured is definately from the resealer cause i got it on other part of the deck as well not just the end joint. The stain been on there for about 3 weeks now. some part is rather brownish then light blue as shown on the picture. so i thought is might wear off and if is does, may be i can water pressure it and clean it with some timber cleaning product.

The picture shows how i do woodends.

It is important no water can get under the wood ever.

* (if you use screws, drill a (10mm) hole around 1/3 deep into the wood then a (4mm) hole whole trough, screw and use a wooden plug with glue and put in the (10mm) hole).

The blue colour comes from the copper sulphate that is one of the chemicals in the Wood Re-treat stuff.

Try vinegar....if that doesn't work, try following the vinegar up up with household ammonia...if that doesn't work, put on your protective jim-jams and bring out the oxalic acid and a pressure washer! If that doesn't shift it, it's time to say hello to the sander.

And I think you'll find that Arnaud is talking about a boat deck, not a residential deck.

You might get better responses posting on the Renovator's Forum, where there are a few deck builders.

Hardwood does not need re-sealing - it's not a treated timber to start with (treated timber is usually pine, which is a softwood - the cell structure of hardwoods makes it difficult to pressure treat.)

get that timber bleech, it got some nasty things out of my deck

yup, i had boat-deck in my mind

Just my 2 cents aside: for the longest durabilty (after cleaning) for any wood make the woodends as watertight as possible. Here is where rotting problems start. Checkout any public toilet with wooden doorframes a little aged close to the floor and see for yourself. This is not due pee only

O.K. i'm off
Arnie