How to easily resurface a weather worn deck

Eventually, most wood decks will become looking quite tired and weather worn. Whilst there are some chemical products which can restore and brighten a faded deck to some extent , there’s not a lot that can be done when the surface starts to splinter, crack or show other significant signs of decay and deterioration.

Normally the only solution in this case is to rip up the existing boards and replace them with new lumber , ideally a high durability lumber species such as Ipe, which has a typical life of up to 40 years even in fully exposed outside locations, and is extremely hard and resistant to splintering.

But these days there is another alternative which permits you to both change the material for resurfacing the deck, and give you the option if you have an upper level deck, of creating a dry area underneath . Interlocking tiles such as those supplied by HandyDeck are modular tiles with an integral interconnecting plastic base, which can be easily installed over the top of an existing structurally sound wood deck , so there’s no need to even take up the existing planks . Of course this will raise the surface to some extent, so you need to make sure that any outward opening doors will clear the extra height of the deck tiles.

Apart from the simplicity of installation, outdoor tiles are now available in a wide range of materials including granite, sandstone, slate , porcelain , composite wood and different wood species, so you have an excellent choice if you wish to change the appearance of your deck. And in many cases you can combine different materials, so for example you could have a wood deck with a feature panel of slate in the middle .

Since the tiles have locking tabs on all sides , they don’t need any screws, nails or adhesives but are simply locked together over the existing deck. Around the outside of the deck, edging pieces or transition strips are generally available to give a neat professional finish.

If you have an upper level deck and wish to create a waterproof area underneath, a simple solution to this problem without the expense of installing a special under deck ceiling system , is to simply lay down a continuous EPDM sheet over the top of your existing deck, making sure that the EPDM sheet is properly sealed against any surrounding walls.  Then you lay the deck tiles over the top of this sheet. The only important point to note if you are planning to use this method of creating a dry under deck area, is that your deck should slope slightly away from the house, so that water draining off the EPDM sheet under the tiles would flow away from the house walls.

Just remember also that if you are using wood deck tiles for resurfacing , that the wood colour will fade if exposed to direct sunlight and turn to a silvery grey over time depending on prevailing weather conditions just the same as for a normal wood deck. Whilst the regular application of a good quality decking oil or sealant will help to slow this natural process , if your deck is fully exposed to the UV of the sun , it will never eliminate the color fading completely .

But if the thought of ongoing maintenance work is a concern to you, then the advantage of using deck tiles for resurfacing an existing deck is that you can choose from other materials such as stone which will not require the same degree of ongoing maintenance.