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Maintaining Your Wood Deck

In the past, decks were more of a novelty, but today it seems that nearly every home has one. Today, more than thirty million homes have a deck on them. Better wood treatments are available today that makes the wood much more durable. However, there are some things that need to be done to the wood in order to make it last. Some decks are made with traditional redwood, which has natural preservatives in the wood. But, most decks are now made with pressure treated pine.

 

Most current decks are made out of pressure treated pine. If the wood is of good quality, this wood will last for forty years or so before there is any substantial decay to the wood. However, it can begin to discolor and splinter after only a few months. This is why it is important to regularly maintain your deck. If you fail to perform the proper maintenance on your deck, it will not start to rot, but it will certainly begin to become discolored and rough, and will also be prone to splintering.

 

In order to ensure that your deck will continue to look good with a minimal amount of discoloration and splintering, you should seal the deck as soon as the deck has become stabilized in the climate. This typically means that you need to wait a few weeks after building the deck before you start sealing it. Most people never bother to treat and seal their decks. This won’t cause them to rot away quickly, and nothing dramatic will happen. However, they will get dirty and the surface will become rougher much sooner. Splinters will become more common. Slick surfaces are another hazard with poorly maintained decks. Most of the “dirt” that you see on a poorly maintained deck are actually living organisms. This organic material can become very slippery when it gets wet. Cleaning and sealing your deck will kill, remove, and slow the return of these organisms.

 

Once every year, you need to check the deck for loose boards and nails that are sticking up. You should also clean the surface and reseal it. The cleaning process involves the removal of dirt, algae, moss, and any other organic matter. You can purchase the sealant at any home improvement store, but if you would rather have a professional perform these tasks for you, we would be honored to perform this yearly maintenance for you.

 

Here at Actsoftx.com, we would love to have the opportunity to put our 30+ years of experience to build, repair, or maintain your wood deck. As we move into the Spring and Summer months, many of us rely on our decks to provide a center for entertaining family and friends. Wouldn’t you rather entertain on a deck that looks good and reflects your personality? You are the most important part of our remodeling team.

 

Gary Harris


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