What You Can Do to Maintain Your Wooden Deck

A wooden deck is a great outdoor feature for your home. It gives you a place to relax and entertain guests. However, if you want to keep it, you must make sure that you take good care of it. After all, it takes a lot of abuse from weather, foot traffic, etc. Sunlight and rain can take a toll, causing the wood to warp, blanks to bend, and attracting fungal and pollen spores that can cause damage.

However, you can make a significant difference in the lifespan of your deck and prevent issues by practicing regular maintenance, staining/sealing, pressure washing, and simple everyday care.

If you have residential or commercial property with a deck in or near Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, contact the professionals at WNC Blast/Wash & Staining. We specialize in a variety of deck care services including restoration, cleaning and sealing, and mold removal.

In this article, we’ll explain what you can do to maintain your wooden deck.

How to Treat Your Deck from the Beginning

The best way to ensure your deck has a long life is by treating it properly from the very beginning. If your deck installer didn’t already set this up, you need to take care of it as soon as possible.

• First, hire a pressure washer to have the deck cleaned and to kill mold/mildew spores and remove any impurities that could prevent sealant from penetrating into the wood.
• Next, hire someone to stain/seal the deck with a waterproof sealer. You’ll want to allow the wood to “age” for at least 60 days before doing this. It’s important to note that even if the wood is pressure-treated, it still needs to be sealed.

Tips for Maintaining Your Wooden Deck

The best way to protect your deck is to constantly maintain it. Sealing is critical for deck maintenance because it protects the wood from rain/dew which can cause swelling and from the sun which can dry it out. Wear and tear from the weather can cause wood to turn gray, cup, warp, and crack. Therefore, practice the following maintenance tips to keep your deck looking great.

• Scrub as needed- cleaning/rinsing with soap and water twice will help, but if you want to deep clean, you can use hydrogen peroxide or oxygen bleach. Don’t use chlorine bleach, as this will break down your sealant.
• Sealant only lasts for a few years- so it should be reapplied every 2-3 years. You can do it yourself, but it won’t last as long as professional treatment. The best way to increase the life expectancy of your deck is to have it sealed by a professional after pressure washing.
• If your deck is stained, the color will fade over the years. Therefore, when you re-seal it, check to see if you should add more stain. You’ll want to use an oil-based stain instead of a solid one. If you’re debating between painting and staining the wood, you should discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each with a professional.

Everyday Maintenance Tips for Your Wooden Deck

You can take steps to protect your deck with the following tips:

• Inspect your deck at least once a year, if not each season. Check for weak railings, split/decaying wood, corroded/missing fasteners, and more. If you can fix them yourself, take care of it as soon as possible- though you may find that it’s best to hire a professional.
• If you have a grill on your deck, make sure to use a grease catcher. Grease stains can be difficult to remove once they are set in.
• Keep your deck clean by regularly sweeping off leaves and dirt and shoveling snow off. The buildup from leaves, snow, and dirt can cause significant damage to your beautiful deck.

If you do have issues with your deck, you can fix some of them yourself. However, if you feel like it may be more than you can handle, consider hiring a professional. A bad fix is worse than no fix at all.

Need Deck Care in Lake Junaluska?

If you have a residential or commercial property with a wooden deck in or near Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, contact the professionals at WNC Blast/Wash & Staining. We offer a variety of deck maintenance services, as well as log cabin care/maintenance and home care/maintenance. We look forward to serving you!