How Often Should You Oil or Sand a Timber Deck in NSW?

No standard sets an oiling schedule. A Bunnings community reply describes a yearly coat of oil, and a Sydney deck renewal contractor suggests a maintenance program every 12 to 24 months. Sand only when the finish is failing, the surface is rough or you are changing products. Follow the label on the product you use.

What the sources say

Source	Suggestion
Bunnings community reply	A yearly coat of oil with a light wash with dishwashing detergent and water in between
Sydney deck renewal contractor	A maintenance program every 12 to 24 months, with later treatments usually a thorough clean and recoat
Other blog posts	6 to 18 months, varying by city and sun exposure

These sources are a forum reply, a contractor and unnamed blog posts, so treat the numbers loosely. Some sources say high-traffic or sun-exposed decks need oiling more often. We left out low-authority "deck oiling" blog posts and found no manufacturer-independent standard.

Before you recoat

• New deck. Mitre 10 says a new deck needs to weather for about six weeks before it is oiled.
• Changing products. If the deck was finished with a different product, Mitre 10 advises sanding back to bare timber before applying a new oil.
• Washing. Clean the deck before any recoat so the new oil can penetrate.

When sanding is needed

Sand when the finish has failed, the surface has gone rough or grey, or you are switching to a different product. Otherwise a clean and recoat is often enough, according to the Sydney contractor. Heavy sanding thins the boards, so do not sand more than you need.

Cost and approval

For prices see timber decking cost and hardwood choices in NSW. Approval rules for new decks are covered there too.

Find contractors

NSW Flooring lists 55 businesses with a confirmed decking service, from Google Maps, retrieved 22 October 2026. Examples: decking north shore & ryde, decking western sydney and decking central coast, or browse decking contractors in NSW. The listing does not say whether a business oils or sands decks. See how listings are placed and ranked. For indoor timber see how often to sand and polish timber floors.

Quick answers

How often should I oil a deck? About every 12 months in exposed sites, about every 12 to 24 months in sheltered ones, per the sources above. Read the product label.

Do I need to sand every time? No. Often a clean and recoat is enough.