Deck repairs - Queela (Kwila) - stain ??

[Bluekiwi]

Okay have to replace part of the decking as it is rotted in parts.
But new Queela looks pretty good and really "Shinny".
And old queela looks pretty ugly.

If I replace 30% of the deck with new Queela.
And stain both the old and the new - what on earth will it look like ???????????

Which leads me to the brianwave I just had as I typed this.

Where could you get second hand queela decking from ?

[Maccachic]

Kwila mamc

[Bluekiwi]

My slow moving brian - need a beer I think - has realised I will just source on trademe.

Would delete post but not sure how.


Damn I just see someone beat me to my second post

[jimO]

as a hardwood i dont know how stain would go, i saw a huge deck that the owner painted a exterior varnish over to protect the deck years ago and the varnish has been peeling off ever since

[skid]

Varnish is different than stain--Its forms a coat which can then peel. Stain is designed to soak in and basically just fades over time.

[hawkeye]

I wouldn't like to mix the shinny queela with the old- just as well you had a Brian-wave.

[donnyboy]

I would tend to replace the whole top decking with 40mm pine if the deck wasn't too big
you can shop around and get some good deals at some timber merchants

[TheLiberalLeft]

Using kwila for anything (decking, furniture) is ecological vandalism, you realise.

Think of the orangutans. Think of the children. Think of the children of the orangutans.

Get that brian of yours further into gear.

[Bluekiwi]

Deck is huge, but I will save the baby monkeys by using recyled kwila, nothing to do with the price of course.
My slow moving brain, realised now there may be different sizes of kwila decking, 100x25 and 100x40 ??
Plus the couple of new shinny queela bits I put in over the rotted through decking, seem slightly wider than what is there, does the blimin stuff shrink over the years ?
Or are there different width's.

[Ahar]

Yep....wood shrinks as it dries.....by up to a few mms

By the way, have you ever built/rebuilt a deck? ......from your questions it sounds as if the answer is NO!

Funnily enough was talking to my builder friend just the other day about adding to a deck...... he was telling me for large decks where the length of timber is many meters, e.g. 3- 4meters, you need to use a string line on every plank!

The reason being, is that timber warps quite easily as it dries....... and this means that your planks won't be straight, even tho' they might look like it.....the string line ensures that the planks are laid on an exact line.....you push, pull, twist the timber to fit and nail before it moves back out of shape

If you don't do this, then as you lay the planks you'll end up with a deck where the planks have a "banana bend" .....REALLY obvious if you view the deck end on

As for your idea of using 2nd hand timber, personally I wouldn't go there.....it will be old and probably a bit rotten, be full of old nails AND it still won't match your existing deck

And I wouldn't try and match the existing gap in the timber......remember the new timber will shrink....so how do you know how much to allow for?

Hey, I'm not a builder......but if you like I'll aks my friend what he usually does

So, go ask the folk who make the stain how good a match you'll get if you stain the old and new timber

[donnyboy]

Built a deck last Xmas, didn't use string line on every length. Just nailed in first row straight and used a thick gauge nail as a gap width on every joist nailing, that ensured that the gaps were even. Trick is to buy straight decking before nailing then its not so bad when nailing it,
ive also replaced a deck top before, was old kwilla and replaced with 40mm pine,
no worries about trying to match timbers and find second hand stuff,
should be able to find pine from about $2 metre

[skid]

Our deck is eucalyptus-Looks just like Kwilla if you like that look and no dead babies

[Ahar]

Built a deck last Xmas, didn't use string line on every length. Just nailed in first row straight and used a thick gauge nail as a gap width on every joist nailing, that ensured that the gaps were even. Trick is to buy straight decking before nailing then its not so bad when nailing it.......

Yep....my builder uses this method on smaller decks

It's on really long decks where you can quickly develop a banana shape......and as you said, the trick is buy straight decking....a novice builder doesn't usually know to check this, or how to check it's straight

My builder also constantly measures back to the other side (width side that is)........you don't want a wedge developing either....this happens when the gaps between planks become inconsistent

And of course he punches the nails well in as he goes......this needs to be done asap.....the wood has a tendency to "grab" the nail making punching the nails in really difficult if left even overnight......learnt this from experience Remember, the wood shrinks, looking like the nails are "popping out" which is why you need to punch them in.....you'll stub your toes if you don't

And for a really top finish, the ends of the planks are planed....just a wee bit.....time consuming but the deck looks great

Finally, lay the planks "randomly" i.e. don't try to match the lengths so they all finish on a similar stud..... or you'll get a visible line develop.......mark of an amateur

[TheLiberalLeft]

skid - think of the koalas!

[donnyboy]

Used galv screws which were countersunk to overcome popped nails in the future. Also, to have a clean look I nailed a border on the ends so the cuts weren't showing. To minimize the joins I had a couple of extra joists in the middle of the deck and had the lengths of decking spanning each half so in all, I think there were about 4 joins, if that makes sense. Will try to upload a few pics of it. Added a seat as well