Decking and other wood projects can provide an unmatched outdoor living experience. But it’s important to know that a few simple steps upfront, and on a regular basis, can make those projects last a lifetime.
PREP: SANDING, CLEANING, AND PRE-FINISHING
These are optional steps:
Before fastening the boards, we recommend spot sanding (an 80 grit sandpaper works best). Sanding will allow any minor marks, scratches or surface imperfections in the boards to blend for a more balanced appearance and will make the boards even smoother. Sanding should be done with the grain of the board.
Once the boards are sanded, we suggest sweeping the boards of dust and ensuring they are clean.
Once the boards are dry, we recommend oiling/staining the boards on all six sides.
FIRST-TIME OILING AND STAINING
Once your deck is sanded and clean you are ready to finish your wood. If you choose to let the wood age naturally to a patina color, there is no need to finish the wood. Due to the density and tight grain of Black Locust, many off-the-shelf finishes and oils will not work on it, leaving the wood with a sticky feel. So we developed blends engineered specifically for Black Locust that combine all natural ingredients into a very low VOC finish. These finishes will work on all the Robi Decking species.
Robi oil brings out the natural beauty and grain detail of the wood, dries quickly, and also contains natural UV inhibitors to delay aging.
Robi® Blend (medium brown tint) and Robi® Patina Now (light grey tint) are water based finishes. The formula is easy to apply, dries quickly, and stains the wood.
Your wood will typically need to be re-finished every 1 to 5 years, depending on the environment. At that point, all you have to do is a simple clean and just re-apply. No sanding or stripping of the old finish is needed.
Visit our Accessories page to see all the finishes designed for Black Locust.
ONGOING CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Here are the guidelines we suggest you follow to keep your deck looking great for a lifetime, no matter how you finish the deck (or don’t finish the deck):
- We suggest no matter how you finish the deck that you keep the deck clear of dirt, debris, snow, standing water, and leaves. This common cleaning will keep the deck looking clean.
- Also, periodic cleaning with simple soap and water and a stiff brush will keep your deck looking new.
- If you stain/oil the deck, we suggest repeating the process every one to five years. The frequency will depend on your deck’s exposure to sun and rain, and follow these steps.
- Clean the deck, coupling a decking cleaner like Robi Clean with a low PSI pressure wash is the best option. Please ensure the pressure washer is set to a low PSI or wide nozzle as you don’t want to damage the wood. You can mop the cleaner on the deck and let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes, keeping it moist and ensuring it does not dry. Then perform the low PSI pressure washing, spot sanding as needed.
- At least 24 hours after cleaning, ensuring the deck is dry and clean, re-apply your finish per the instructions and on Black Locust you want to do a light coat. You want to apply the finish between 40 and 80 degrees.
- Let the finish dry for 24 hours and then you are ready to enjoy your deck.
