Hit your deck: Maintenance increases life span

Font Size:

by Gannett News Service | Sunday, June 11, 2006 3:55 AM CDT | () comments

If you have a traditional wood deck made of pressure-treated pine, you can greatly increase its life span with annual maintenance such as sealing.

Decks are horizontal and take a beating from the sun. Ultraviolet rays are the most damaging to wood, with moisture from puddling rain, snow and ice coming in second.

Following are tips for maintaining your deck:

Once a year

Check for and replace damaged boards.

Check for popped nails, loose screws and bolts. Hammer nails back in, and tighten screws and bolts.

Clean your deck. Power washing is easier, but you can do it by hand with a brush.

Twice a year

Check the supports for signs of insect or animal damage. You might have to call a pest-control expert to deal with insects or put up a lattice to keep animals out.

Every one to three years

Restain or reseal the deck.

If you plan to refinish your deck, wait three to five days after the most recent rain. Hold off if rain is in the forecast within the next 24 hours.

If wood is new, let it dry two to three weeks. To tell if the wood is dry enough to accept stain, spray it with a spray bottle of water. If the water beads up, it’s still too moist. If water can’t get in, neither can stain.

Clean the deck free of mildew, dirt and foreign matter. Wait three to five days for the deck to dry.

Choose a stain or sealant based on appearance as well as performance.

Apply stain to a test patch to make sure you like the look. If working with more than one gallon, mix all the gallons together to make sure the color is uniform.

Apply stain or sealant when temperatures are between 40 and 90 degrees, avoiding application in direct sunlight. Avoid stain runoff or puddling. Apply too much and it won’t dry properly and could crack and chip later.

n Keep the leading edge wet, and if you have to stop, finish the boards you’re working on so the place you start again won’t be visible.

— Sources: Cabot Wood

Products, Home Depot