Deck repairs and restoration: the usual jobs
Most tired timber decks need the same few things: the boards and fixings that have failed replaced, the steps made solid, and the whole surface sanded and oiled. A licensed carpenter quotes from photos or a look at the deck: its size, the timber, how many boards have gone and whether the frame underneath is sound.
Split, cupped and rotten boards
Damaged boards are cut out back to the joists and new boards of the same timber and width fixed in their place. New boards look brighter than weathered ones until the deck is sanded and oiled, so say if you want both done.
Lifting nails and loose boards
Nails that have worked up are punched down or pulled, and loose boards are re-fixed with decking screws suited to the timber, so nothing catches a bare foot.
Wobbly steps and landings
Steps move when the treads or the stringers that carry them have rotted or come loose from the deck. Treads are replaced, stringers re-fixed or renewed, and the bottom step set on a firm base.
Deck sanding and oiling
Grey, weathered timber is cleaned and sanded back to fresh wood, which also takes off splinters and raised grain, then given two coats of decking oil to bring the colour back.
Deck repair and oiling costs in Adelaide
Deck sanding and oiling prices
| What’s charged | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deck sanding and refinishing, per m² | $50 – $100 per m² | Stain And Seal, Goodwood |
| Deck sanding and oiling, per m² (typical $40) | $25 – $60 | What’s The Damage (national) |
Stain And Seal’s figure (“depending on the condition of the timber, existing coating, access”) is from its Adelaide service page, updated 25 August 2026, with no GST statement. The national guide’s October 2026 figure includes GST. Checked 28 October 2026.
Board and step repairs are priced by a licensed carpenter after seeing the deck or photos of it. If the frame turns out to be past repair, the deck cost guide has Adelaide deck builders’ published prices for a new deck.
Repair, restore or replace a timber deck?
A deck with a sound frame and a few failed boards is a repair: replace what’s gone and re-fix the rest. A deck whose boards are all grey and rough but still solid is a restoration: fix the worst boards and steps, then sand and oil the lot.
When the joists and bearers have rotted too, a new deck on the old footprint can make more sense than piecemeal repairs. A new deck is exempt from approval in SA only within limits on its height and how close it comes to a boundary: see decks and the deck and pergola approval guide.
Rotten joists, bearers and structural deck repairs
Decking boards sit on joists, the joists on bearers, and the bearers on posts or stumps. When those are rotten, sagging or loose, the repair is structural work rather than board and step repairs, and it’s outside the deck repairs quoted here. New boards fixed to a failing frame are unlikely to stay flat.
If you can see under the deck, send a photo of the frame, and ask the carpenter to say whether it’s sound before the boards are quoted.
What to send us
- Photos of the whole deck, the worst boards and the steps
- The deck’s rough size in m², and the timber if you know it
- How many boards are split, loose or soft
- Whether you want it sanded and oiled as well
- A photo from underneath, if you can see the joists and bearers
Questions about deck repairs in Adelaide
Do deck repairs need a licensed carpenter in SA?
Yes. Repairing a deck for someone else is building work under South Australia’s Building Work Contractors Act 1995, however small the job: there’s no dollar amount below which the licence isn’t needed. See how to check a licence.
Can a deck be oiled without sanding it first?
Yes, if the old finish is sound and the timber is still smooth: it’s cleaned and given fresh coats. A deck that’s gone grey, rough or patchy needs sanding first, or the new oil won’t soak in evenly.
How can I tell if the frame under the deck is rotten?
Boards that bounce or dip between fixings, a deck that’s dropped at one corner, and timber that a screwdriver pushes into easily are the usual signs. Check the joists and bearers near the house wall and under the steps, where water sits longest.
Can composite decking be repaired?
Composite boards aren’t sanded or oiled. A damaged board is replaced with one from the same range while it’s still made, fixed to the manufacturer’s spacing and fastener rules.
What happens to the old boards and offcuts?
Ask for them to be taken away. If old posts or boards are CCA-treated pine, EPA SA says CCA posts must go to an EPA-authorised landfill and can’t be burnt or buried on site, and burning treated timber is banned in SA.
Where this information comes from
The rules and figures on this page come from these published pages, checked on 28 October 2026.
- Stain And Seal: deck sanding in Adelaide · Goodwood deck restoration business, service page, updated 25 August 2026
- What’s The Damage: decking cost 2026 · National cost guide (paid by tradespeople for enquiries), updated October 2026, prices include GST
- Building Work Contractors Act 1995 (SA) · South Australian legislation: ss 3, 6, 28–36, 47A–47D, 49 and 50
- EPA SA: CCA treated timber · Environment Protection Authority South Australia, modified 25 September 2026
