Wood decks can be a great addition to any backyard. They provide an excellent place for people to hang out and enjoy the outdoors, they are perfect for entertaining guests, and they offer plenty of space for children to play on. However, without proper care, wood decks will become damaged over time. This article is about how you can maintain your wood deck so that it remains in good condition!
1. Clean your deck with a solution of warm water and dish soap
Make sure you use a solution of warm water and dish soap. Other cleaning products will not be as effective when used on your wood decking, so the only thing in the bucket or spray bottle must be warm water and dish soap!
You can mix this easily by filling up one half of your bucket with hot tap water, then adding some drops of liquid hand soap into the other side until it has reached an appropriate level. Then just stir everything together before using it to clean off your deck. Before anything else make sure that your cleaning method won’t damage your deck. As for revamping, cedar deck materials might be the best option.
2. Apply the cleaner to the surface using a pressure washer or garden hose sprayer
When applying the cleaner to your deck, you mustnt just spray down one area. Spread out the solution so that each part of the wood receives a little bit of attention – this will give you better results!
Once everything has been covered with water and soap, let it soak into the wood for at least five minutes before scrubbing off any dirt or grime using an old broom or deck brush. If there are stubborn stains on your decking, you can also use a wire brush as well if needed! Just be gentle when doing this because too much pressure could cause some damage and splintering along certain areas. If you want to buy your own pressure washer for this, you must consider the pressure washer psi before buying.
3. Rinse off any excess cleaner from the surface with a hose
After scrubbing off any dirt and grime from the surface, it is important to rinse off all of the remaining soap residues. You can do this by spraying down your deck with a garden hose or pressure washer once again. Make sure that every area has been covered so that there are no areas left behind!
Rinsing everything away will give you better results than just using water alone because at least some of the cleaner needs to be removed before applying another coat to prevent any discoloration or damage along with certain parts of your wood decking.
4. Allow it to dry before applying a sealant, which will protect your wood from moisture and rot for up to five years
Depending on the type of sealant you use, this could take anywhere from an hour to a full day. If you are using a water-based product, it will dry very quickly and should only need about four hours before it is ready. Oil-based products can sometimes take up to 24 hours for everything to evaporate off fully – just keep that in mind!
The result will be worth your time, though, because wood decking that has been treated with multiple coats of sealant will not warp, crack, splinter, or rot over time as untreated wood would! It means that stairs won’t become loose and dangerous since there won’t be any rotting boards underneath them, leading to unexpected times.
5. Re-apply every six months during the warmer months to maintain protection against mold and mildew growth
A good habit to get into is applying sealant every six months during the hot summer months so that everything can dry quickly. It will prevent any moisture from being soaked up by your wood decking, which means you won’t have to deal with any mold or mildew issues later on!
Cleaning and maintaining your deck is a lot easier than you might think. As long as you take the time to follow these simple steps, your wood surface will stay in great shape for years to come. We recommend using this cleaning process every six months, but its worth checking out each year to ensure no signs of damage or rot that need attention sooner.
