Top of the Deck

EXPERT ADVICE: Thorndown on how to make sure your decking looks great for longer

Grey reigns supreme when it comes to styling outdoor living areas, according to one of the UK’s leading exterior paint brands.

Advice from the experts at Thorndown, who specialise in eco wood and wall paint, puts grey firmly in the frame when it comes to revamping tired decking.

Ben Thornborough, Managing Director of Thorndown, said: “When it comes to giving decking a new lease of life, grey is proving to be an incredibly popular choice. It’s versatile and practical, disguising dirt from the garden and offering a deep, blank canvas around which to style the rest of the outdoor entertaining space.”

Decking suffers from a lot of wear and tear from foot traffic, as well as exposure in all weathers. From rain lashing down and freezing ice to the sun shining directly on it in summer months, it has a lot to contend with.

Caroline Thornborough, Design Director of Thorndown, said: “Decking is like a high-maintenance lover, it requires a lot of TLC.”

Here the expert team at Thorndown share their top tips on how to transform decking from disaster to a delight.

1. Clean thoroughly making sure all surface residues such as dirt and algae are removed. Remember if you’re using a power washer then you’ll need to leave it for a long time to dry thoroughly as the jets push large volumes of water deep into the timber. The timber must be completely dry before painting.

2. Remove any loose old paint or stain coatings by sanding, then clean off any dust. If the previous coating is sound then skip this stage and just make sure it’s clean and dry, then paint straight on top with Thorndown Wood Paint or Stain Blocking Primer if required.

3. Paint on a stain blocking primer if you’re painting a light colour onto new decking and don’t want any tannin stains or resin bleeds to show through. Leave to dry.

4. Stir paint thoroughly before and during. Buy sample tins to make sure the colour you select is exactly what you want.

5. Apply a coat with a sprayer, roller or brush, but make sure you get the paint well into all of the nooks and crannies, in between the grooves on the decking board surface, and in between the boards so you get the sides too.

6. Leave to dry. Thorndown Wood Paint will be touch dry in about 30 minutes to an hour in decent dry warm weather and ready to paint on a second coat. A second coat will increase the intensity and solidity of the colour and will increase the durability of the coating to last longer.

7. Avoid walking on it for 24 hours after painting as although the coating will be touch dry it will still be curing (turning nice and solid) so you don’t want to mark it while it’s still soft.

Thorndown’s range of exterior wood paint is available now from Thorndown, priced at £22 for 750ml.