Keeping your deck clean and properly maintained can help lengthen its life and prevent costly repairs. If you have a wood deck, you know how difficult it can be to maintain it in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle’s rainy season is a long one and can ruin your deck if not properly maintained and treated. Here are some Deck Maintenance tips to make it last longer.
Keep it Clean from Shrubs, Debrees, and other weather elements.
It’s important to clean your deck thoroughly once a year. But don’t go overboard with the high-powered washer. A pressure washer in unsteady hands, can make your deck look like beetle larvae have been at work eating your deck. Make sure to cover nearby vegetation before you begin to clean. The chemicals in cleaners can harm or kill plants that are hit with spray, so cover them with a tarp or plastic sheet before you start.
Use Deck appropriate Cleaners, not household cleaners or bleach.
Deck cleaners are designed to remove grime, grease, stains, mold, and mildew. Make sure to choose one suited to the decking material and the grime you need to remove. No-rinse deck cleaning options contain ingredients that continue to clean or protect the deck weeks after the cleaning. Avoid cleaning the deck with chlorine bleach which would strip the wood of its natural color and damage its structure. Try oxygen bleach, an all-purpose alternative, that won’t wash out colors, but it’s still not appropriate for redwood. Keep in mind that deep cleaning is an essential step before sealing or staining a deck.
Use Water Repellent Sealant
Make sure to sand your deck before sealing. Lightly sand the surface of the deck to remove splintery or fuzzy patches after washing the deck. A power sander is overkill, so look for a pole sander. Then after sanding, seal the deck to protect from cracking, cupping, and warping. A clear sealer lasts long. Tinted stains or sealants fade when there’s foot traffic. Keep in mind paint alone is not a sealant.
Replace Damaged Boards
Safety and aesthetics are at play when replacing a rotted, split, or otherwise damaged deck board. If the board is not damaged but has another imperfection, such as a stain, you might just need to remove and flip the piece of board. If the board is damaged, you can remove it and replace the entire board. You can also replace only the damaged section of the board, which involves cutting out a section of the old board and replacing it with new material.
Home Remodeling is what we do, we’re remodeling specialists! Johnson Bros can guide and help your deck remodeling, deck construction, and protection in winter weather. We are proud to utilize the experience of our in-house architect and over 35 years of remodeling experience. At Johnson Bros we provide a seamless process for our customers that need both home design and construction. Our concept promotes a team approach, working together to create a project that meets your needs as well as fits your budget. Efficiency for the entire project is condensed, providing maximum accountability for design details, cost management, and scheduling.
Need help with your deck in the Seattle, WA region? Got another project in mind? Request a free consultation from us!