Most Melbourne decks look their worst in October. Winter has left them grey, a bit furry in the shady corners and slippery where moss has crept in. Then the first warm weekend arrives and everyone wants to use them.
That timing works in your favour. Spring is the best window to sort a deck before summer. The timber has dried out from winter, and the days aren’t yet hot enough to flash-dry oil before it soaks in.
So what does your deck need? It’s almost always one of three things.
A clean and re-oil
If the boards are sound and the deck has simply faded, a clean and a fresh coat of oil will bring it back.
You’re in this group if:
- The colour has gone grey or patchy but the surface still feels smooth
- Water soaks straight in instead of beading
- There are no soft spots, lifting boards or nail heads popping up
How often a deck needs oiling comes down to sun. A north-facing deck in full sun will usually need it every 6 to 12 months. A shaded deck under a pergola can go longer.
Here’s a quick test. Tip a glass of water on the boards. If it sits in beads, the oil is still doing its job. If it darkens the timber and disappears, it’s due.
Merbau and spotted gum are the two hardwoods we see most on Melbourne decks, and both bleed tannins. On a new deck, or one that’s been stripped back, those tannins need to come out with a deck cleaner before oiling or the finish goes blotchy. Merbau is the worse of the two.
Sand, repair and re-oil
This is restoration, and it’s for a deck that’s been left a few years. The surface is rough or splintering, old finish is peeling in patches and a few boards have cupped or split.
A typical restoration goes like this:
- Replace split, rotten or badly cupped boards
- Punch down or replace lifting nails and screws
- Sand back to clean timber
- Clean and remove tannins
- Apply two coats of oil or stain
Check the frame while the deck is clear. Push a screwdriver into the joists and bearers close to the ground and anywhere water sits. If it goes in easily, that timber is rotting and has to be replaced before any finish goes on. Oiling over a rotten frame is money down the drain.
What deck restoration costs in Melbourne
A July 2026 Melbourne price guide from Whats The Damage puts deck sanding and oiling at roughly $26 to $63 per square metre, with $42 as the typical figure. On that basis a 20 square metre deck in fair condition lands somewhere around $800 to $900 for a straight sand and oil.
Board replacement, stripping old paint or stain, and tricky access all push a quote higher. When you compare quotes, ask each one how many coats are included, which product they use and whether board repairs are priced in or extra.
When it’s time to replace
Some decks are past saving. Replacement starts to make more sense when:
- More than about a third of the boards need replacing
- Several joists or bearers have rot, or the posts are rotting at ground level
- The deck sits more than a metre off the ground and the balustrade is loose or was built to an older standard
At that point you’d be paying for most of a new deck in repairs and still living with an old frame. Get it assessed properly before you commit to a restoration.
For landlords: decks are a safety item
On a rental, a loose board or a wobbly balustrade is a safety issue. Under Victorian rental law, a fault that makes the property unsafe can count as an urgent repair, which you have to arrange straight away. Other repairs have to be done within 14 days of the renter’s written request (Consumer Affairs Victoria).
Spring is a good time to have the deck checked along with the rest of the outside of the property. Our spring maintenance guide for rentals covers the rest of that list. A tired deck is also one of the first things buyers notice if you’re getting a rental ready to sell.
DIY or get it done?
A re-oil is a fair DIY job if you’ve got a free weekend and two dry days in a row. Sweep, clean, let it dry for a day or two, then apply the oil thin. Thick coats sit on the surface, go sticky and pick up dirt.
Restoration is harder. A hired sander gets you part of the way, but board and frame repairs need carpentry skills, and a bad sanding job leaves gouges that show through each coat you put on afterwards.
We restore decks and pergolas across Melbourne, including the carpentry when boards or framing need replacing, as part of our wider home maintenance and repairs service. Have a look at our deck and pergola restoration service, or send us a few photos and we’ll tell you which of the three your deck needs.