At minimum, a wood deck needs to be thoroughly washed with a deck scrubber and deck cleaning solution once a year, and every so often they will even need to be restained to touch up fading and keep them looking new.
Whether you’ve moved into a new place with an old deck that needs reviving, or its simply about that time for you to restain your old deck, here is how you can make it look like new again:
Check the Soundness of the Wood Structure
Look the deck over and carefully inspect it for visual evidence of rot, decay, or termites. Walk around on it listening for creaks or groans, and grab the boards and supporting pillars and pull on them to spot any loose pieces.
Lightly tap around with a rubber mallet to see if any pieces are loose. If the structural soundness of your deck is in question, it may need more than a cleaning and restain. For your safety, you may want to contact a professional Maryland deck builder.
Clean the Deck (Don’t Use a Pressure Washer)
If your deck is structurally sound, the next step is to clean it thoroughly. Never use a pressure washer for this. A pressure or power washer will open up gaps in the wood and create a lot of dangerous splinters.
The gaps will expose more of the wood to sun, water, and ice, aging it faster. The natural oils will be stripped from the wood by the pressure washer and the wood will warp, split, cup, and loosen around nails.
Instead use a deck scrubber and a gentle, specially made deck cleaning solution to clean your deck properly. As soon as it’s dry you’ll be ready to restain it.
Restain The Deck
First use a wood brightener to restore the appearance of the weathered wood and open it up for deeper penetration when you’re ready to stain. Rinse the deck boards really well to wash out any chemicals after it’s been cleaned and treated.
When you go to buy the stain, be sure you’ve done your research and are aware that the more you spend the better quality the stain will be. For many products spending more doesn’t necessarily mean you get a better product. Stain isn’t one of those products—you’ll get what you pay for.
Read the directions on the label carefully, as each stain is a little different. The best way to apply it is with a paintbrush, which will really increase absorption and work the stain deep into the pores of the wood.
Staining a deck is boring, tedious work. You will probably be tempted to rush. Don’t give in. Be patient and take your time.
If you’ve found your deck isn’t structurally sound, or you’d rather have a new deck installed because your current one is too far gone for staining, get in touch with Custom Deck Builders, LLC. Custom Deck Builders is a quality deck building contractor with the skill and experience to get you a top-quality deck at an affordable price. For more information, give us a call or fill out the form on our contact us page, today!
