With summer fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about spending time out on your deck. But to keep your deck in good condition, you’ll also need to start thinking about maintenance.
With the right care, you’ll be able to enjoy your deck for many years to come.
Here are four ways to maintain and care for your deck.
1. Cleaning
You should clean your deck at least once a year to remove dirt, grime, and debris.
If you have composite decking, scrub your deck with warm soapy water. Depending on the brand, you may use gentle pressure washing instead.
For other types of decking, choose cleaners that are compatible with your brand. Also, avoid using anything that would be harmful to the wood or to you.
Your deck cleaning techniques will vary depending on the cleaning chemicals you use. Follow the directions listed on the bottle for best results.
Be sure to cover any nearby plants before you begin the cleaning process. Even small amounts of cleaning chemicals can kill your landscaping.
2. Touch-Ups
If you have a painted or stained deck, you might notice the color fading away over time. Touching up the color can make your deck look new again. You can try to do this yourself, but it’s best to contact a professional decking contractor for bigger jobs.
You’ll want to clean your deck first, then let it dry for at least two days before applying paint or stain. If you’re repainting, you may need to remove some of the existing paint with a sander first. That way, you’ll be able to paint on a smooth canvas.
3. Sealing
can help lock in the color and protect the wood from damage by the elements or UV rays.
You can apply sealant by spraying, brushing, or rolling it onto your deck. Check the directions for the brand that you choose to see what works best.
Be sure you choose a deck sealer that contains UV protection to shield your deck from the sun’s harmful rays.
4. Repair
One of the most common problems with wooden decks is popped nails. If you’re finding any nails that protrude, you should hammer them back into place. You should also sand away any splinters and rough spots.
Leave any major repairs to a professional decking contractor.
How to Avoid Damage to Your Deck
We’ve spent this entire blog post talking about . But preventive care is also important.
There are many things you can do to stop damage from happening in the first place. For example, you should never remove snow from your deck with a metal shovel. Doing this may scrape and gouge the surface of your deck.
Your deck is strong enough to support any snow that may fall during winter. The only time we may recommend shoveling your deck is if the snow is higher than the deck railings.
Under those circumstances, use a plastic shovel to shovel along the lengths of the boards. Never shovel perpendicular to the boards.
Learn More: How to Protect Your Deck in the Winter →
Call Eikenhout to Get Started
Eikenhout is a reputable decking supplier with nine Michigan locations. As such, we’re proud to help homeowners and contractors build beautiful decks.
To learn more about our decking products, please feel free to call any of our locations. You may also fill out our online contact form and someone from our team will reach out to you soon.
This blog post has been updated.
