Deck Cleaning and Maintenance

Maintenance and deck cleaning

In order to avoid deterioration and maintain the beauty of your wooden deck, it is ideal that you hold an annual maintenance schedule. Come spring, the deck needs to be attended to by cleaning and sealing it in order to prevent breakdown and spoilage, while preserving its appearance. Not adhering to your schedule and neglecting to keep it, can substantially decrease the usefulness, forcing you to replace the deck long before its time is due.

Materials needed to clean and maintain your deck

To make sure you aren’t missing something you need while cleaning, it would be favorable that before starting your cleaning process, you acquire the following items beforehand:

• A dustpan and broom or similar containers for waste
• Highly-pressurized power washer (recommended, but optional)
• Hammer and nails
• Sealing material of your choice
• Some disposable cloths to protect surrounding surfaces
• Paint buckets, pans and brushes
• Sandpaper (if it’s necessary)

Cleaning your deck

Before you can begin sealing your deck, you need to make sure it’s thoroughly washed, removing leftover residue. Begin by moving aside all furniture and big objects from the deck. Broom the deck so as to clear away what’s left of pine needles, leaves and other unnoticeable debris. If your attempts have in unavailing in cleaning your deck so far, or you’re unsure of its state and appears gray in color, it might be best to use a power washer at this time.

If one is not readily available at your disposal, those can generally be rented from local construction companies, or from home improvement stores. Provided that your deck is made of cedar, proceed with care when power-washing, because cedar wood is softer. Cedar tends to turn silver with age, which is why most of the people choose this wood.

Inspecting and repairing the surface of the deck

Inspect carefully for splinters, broken nails, damaged parts and areas where splitting occurs. If the boards are spoiled, consider having them replaced before proceeding with the sealant. If broken nails make themselves known, replace those as well.

Selecting and applying your sealant

Your sealant needs to be picked in accordance with the weather conditions in your area. Specific types of sealants are best used or work better with specific types of wood, and certain sealants are needed granted that you live in areas prevalent with extreme humidity or too much sun. As sealants being made available in a large variety of colors, it would be best to ask the guidance of a retailer employee regarding your concerns on what the better choice would be in picking your sealant based on your deck and budget.

Brush the deck one last time before applying your sealant, making sure no debris or dirt had gotten untended. Given that the deck was power-washed, be sure to wait until the deck has completely dried off before applying your sealant. If required, allow a layer to completely dry and cure before applying a second.

Most of the decks are cleaned with ease and sealed in a weekend’s timeframe, so you can turn this project into a fun home improvement pastime. To achieve the best results and prolong the lifespan of your deck, try not rushing through any of the steps, and follow all the aforementioned directions.