Nightmare stripping job... Ask questions and find answers on all your decking problems and issues

[deckhand]

This is my first post here so hello all!

We have a deck (45m2) on our roof that I decided needed an all out maintenance session this year.

When we moved in 3 years ago, I wanted to put decking oil on it, and was missold some awful nightmare stuff called "RONSEAL PERFECT FINISH DECKING OIL". At the time it was a nightmare, and the shop actually admitted they were at fault and gave me about £150 of cleaner and oil as an apology. The cleaner didnt shift the terrible product though, so I figured I would just live with it and that eventually it had to weather off.

So this year it was finally peeling away in large areas, so I did some research about how to strip it back to the wood and get it looking great.

I ended up deciding to splash the cash on what seemed to be the best solution - OWATROL products.

I spoke to Owatrol UK, and I spoke to Ronseal. Both of them said that OWATROL PREPDECK would shift the finish.

So today I spent all day on the deck. I applied the Prepdeck as instructed, scrubbed, waited, then pressure washed. It lifted about 35% of it away. After a second test I decided jut to try pressure washing the deck WITHOUT the Prepdeck, and I got pretty similar results - about 35% shifted.

Where the finish was peeling away it has pretty much gone. Other areas where it was failing but not peeling it has gone, but in large areas it is just totally unaffected by the Prepdeck stripper. I have been told I should apply more coats and "buy more product" if I do not have enough to do that, but as it just seems to be totally ineffective, and EXPENSIVE, I am not going to do that without guarantees.

Owatrol tell me that I mustn;t sand the deck or else their oil (Textrol) will not penetrate.

I am thinking that, despite this advice, the only option I can see is to go and rent a floor sander for the day and have a go at the areas where the finish is untouched. This is going to leave the grooves untouched of course, but is going to be better than nothing.

I have near on £200 of Textrol waiting to go on - I can;t apply that without having it properly stripped.

Does anyone have any advice PLEASE? (I am not looking forward to tomorrow....

Thanks

Robert

[welsh brickie]

the only way I can think of removing it, is to have it sand blasted that will definatly remove it

[deckhand]

I think sandblasting is going to be impractical.

I have exchanged the Prepdeck for Dilunet, but not sure I now have enough. On advice from a techie at Promain I have applied it, covered it in clingfilm, and am leaving it overnight with fingers crossed but not overly hopeful. All advice seems to be "It's a great product all our customers are very happy". I am guessing that if tomorrow I am not happy, that story will not change.

Saying that, the guys at Owatrol have been very helpful and I think I am going to get it done, one way or another. It just might not be this weekend....