Doing Deck Maintenance

With the right tools and procedures, maintaining your deck can bring rewarding results. Although many decks become discolored and weathered within a few short years of being put up - becoming catches of debris in the slat gaps and other areas, alive with mildew and even lichen.

While many homeowners simply learn to live with and accept this, forgetting about what their structure once was, or else, deciding on a yearly or so cleaning - with a little extra effort their decks can be revitalized for enhanced enjoyment and chances at a longer life. In some cases preventing future rotting.

Upkeep may also relate to not only the types of sealers being used but the kinds of products that makeup of the deck. Not to mention the influence of initial design and construction. For example, the right sized slat gaps enhance air circulation and cleanliness, as opposed to those set too near, and therefore maintenance issues are affected.

Screws that last and not rust or decompose, regardless of the chemicals used in the pressure treating process - will translate to saving entire board replacements, or nail hole plugs placed beside failed others - thus sustaining the intended look of the deck. Notably some types of screws have experienced these kind of failures, so be sure to look into just what types of screws are being used on your structure.

Efforts at maintenance should be considered at every phase, from design and construction to throughout the years the deck stands while taking all elements into account such as your particular part of the country, wood species, hardware performance, types of tools/appliers and products used, etc.