Eventually, most wood decks will become looking quite tired and weather worn. Even though there are some chemical products which can restore and brighten a gray deck to some degree , there's not much that can be done when the surface starts to splinter, crack or show other obvious signs of weathering and wear and tear.

Normally the only solution in this case is to pull up the current planks and substitute them with new decking material , ideally a high durability timber species such as Ipe, which has a typical life of up to 40 years even in completely exposed outside locations, and is exceptionally hard and resistant to splintering.

But these days there is another option which permits you to both change the material for resurfacing the deck, and give you the opportunity if you have an upper level deck, of creating a waterproof area on the surface below . Interlocking deck tiles such as those supplied by HandyDeck and other suppliers are modular tiles constructed with an inbuilt interconnecting plastic base, which can be simply laid over the top of an existing structurally sound wood deck , so there's no need to even remove the existing boards . Of course this will increase the height of the surface to some degree, so you have to ensure that that any doors that open outwards will clear the additional height of the interlocking tiles.

Apart from the simplicity of installation, interlocking deck tiles are now available in a wide range of materials including granite, sandstone, slate , ceramic , composite wood and diverse wood species, so you have an excellent choice if you wish to change the look of your deck. And with tiles from some makers you can intermix different materials, so for example you could have a wood deck with a feature panel of slate in the center .

Since the tiles have connecting tabs on all sides , they don't need any fixing materials but are simply snapped in place over the current deck. Around the perimeter of the deck, edging pieces or transition strips are often available to give a neat professional finish.

If you have an upper level deck and wish to make a dry area underneath, an uncomplicated way of achieving this without the expense of installing a special under deck ceiling system, is to simply lay down a continuous EPDM sheet over the top of your existing deck, ensuring that the EPDM sheet is properly sealed against any surrounding walls. Then you click the interlocking tiles over the top of this sheet. The only important point to note if you are planning to use this technique of creating a dry under deck area, is that your deck should slope slightly away from the house, so that water draining off the EPDM sheet under the tiles would flow away from the house walls.

Just remember also that if you are using wood deck tiles, that the wood colour will fade and turn to a silvery grey over time depending on prevailing weather conditions just the same as for a conventional wood deck. Whilst the regular application of a good quality decking oil or sealant will help retard this natural process, if your deck is fully exposed to the sunlight, it will never eliminate the color fading entirely.

But if the thought of ongoing maintenance is a worry to you, then one of the big advantages of using deck tiles for resurfacing an existing deck is that you can choose from other materials such as composite wood which will not require the same level of upkeep.