Firstly...are you sure they are jarrah and not som other more exotic timber? If you are fortunate enough to have a genuine 1932 built cottage I say "Don't Do it!" Just look at the beautiful timber in that floor! It would be sinful to paint it. I have a 1924 cottage with beautiful hoop pine floorboards all from the day it was built. My suggestion is to have the boards sanded and polished. I would not even dare go near them with polyurethane. I have turned back the clock and used the methods of the period of the house...a mix of pale boiled linseed oil and kero. Put it on with a mop or a deck mop or a wool mop leave it soak in. Re-do and leave it soak in,,,( you won't get patches...the floors will just soak it up.) Third coat, add a bit of turps to the mix as a white ant deterrent. Then, when the floors look like they've soaked up enough, get a big old fashioned string mop...if you can find one...or use a deck scrubber and old towels...or even a wad of new ones...100% cotton...its worth it, and rub off as much of the surplus as possible...wear sox so you will notice when the sox do not get oil stained anymore. First go is a long process but you will be really pleased when the floors have had several "drinks". After that you could get just an ordinary floor varnish or oil or just a sealant. Some of the modern wood treatments are really good. Then, every so often do the boards over with your "Oil Mop". You will never find timber like that again and, in my experience, it adds to the value of the house big time. Do what you like to any gyprock and plastered walls but PLEASE love your floorboards and any natural timber...especially from that era. I've been in this old cottage for 32 years. Everyone wants to know where I sourced the "new" floorboards", and who did I get to make my silky oak windows! Hope that helps.

Gosh this is an old thread, lucky I'm still attached to it. Sorry Susan, can't help you, the Houzzer is in the US and they have different brands to us and I've also learned even if the brands are the same, the colours aren't necessarily the same. Did you check out the brand Luke posted? I believe Luke is no longer with Houzz unfortuantely. Personally, I would never touch brick, it is a timeless product and usually messing with it only results in more maintenance over time, where natural brick is pretty much maintenance free. I also read the other day red bricks are coming back in again - there is always a cycle if you wait long enough. My old house was red brick and I had the green guttering, roof tiles and such but over the years the roof tiles lost their colour and went grey. When I sold the house the new owners painted all the guttering and outside trims charcoal grey. As much as I hate grey and am over the constant use of it, I have to say it really looks great and gives new life to the bricks. Maybe this is the way to go with updating facades, just change trims to the current fad colours, they need painting regularly anyway, and leave bricks to the natural cycle of trends.

Timber or composite decking also depends on what area you live in, regards the climate and where your deck will be. Merbau hardwood is an Indonesian timber that fares very well in Western Australia as the climate is hot and dry which tends to suit the Merbau. It can leech tannins, especially if wet, if not oiled straight after installation when these tannins are locked in. We laid a Spotted Gum deck for clients in Perth a year ago that needs constant oiling, every two months, to withstand the severity of the sun. Spotted Gum looks lovely but being in Perth, it is better to be covered. However Merbau hardwood decks are more stable, durable and don't tend to twist or shrink as other timbers such as Jarrah, Batu, Spotted Gum and pine may do. Merbau is a hardwood we recommend to clients in they are unsure what timber to go for. A timber deck fully exposed or beside a swimming pool will need more oil applications than one under a veranda or patio. NexGen composite is a beautiful board manufactured in the USA that comes in various colours and is secret clipped. This is maintenance free other than a wash down with warm soapy water every now and again. Trex is also an American board that is highly recommended. Millboard is a very good choice also and has a more of a natural look. This board is a bit more expensive than NexGen and Trex and looks great. Cons for composite is that it does get hot if exposed to the sun however, timber will get hot too. From experience, its also better to lay your composite decking when the boards are cool, not too hot as they expand and contract length wise. Composite is also scratch resistant but isn't scratch proof. Things to consider before having your deck installed are 1) how much maintenance am I prepared to do to upkeep my deck? 2) Is my deck in a termite or fire prone area? 3) Do I need a council permit? (if it is 500 mm off the ground in which case you'll need balustrading) 4) What look am I going for? (Modern, natural, rustic or contemporary) 5) How much money am I willing to invest? 6) What material do I like better? Whatever material you decide on, enjoy your deck. It will be a good investment for you and your family, and your property.

Hi Anne Marie, there are a few things that could be causing the black staining. Share it could be mould but that usually takes some time but usually moist and dark conditions too. If your timber has been exposed to the elements before it has been coated it may be the woods natural tannins coming out. This is normal for most decking timbers. If it is mould there are several outdoor mould sprays available. These are generally a chlorine based product and although it will kill the mould it may also bleach the timber. I suggest a test patch that is not in open view or on an off cut if you still have one. If it is the tannins coming out then you could use one of the available deck cleaners as per the instructions however you need to get the timber coated as soon as possible to make sure that you keep the awesome colour that blackbutt has. Have a look at my pics to see the blackbutt deck done for one of my clients. Good luck.