by TimberTown Austin
Spring is here! The grass is green, flowers are blooming, and it’s the perfect time to enjoy your outdoor space before the heat of summer. For deck owners, all you have to do is just step outside onto your porch or back deck and soak up the sun, right? Not so fast.
If you own a deck or porch, you know there’s work to be done! After fall and winter, there’s bound to be stains, dirt, and grime that has been left to sit and settle into the boards and between the gaps. Before you bring the lounge chairs back out, there are a few ways you can actually ruin the look of your deck if you’re not careful.
by TimberTown Austin
Here are the top mistakes to avoid when cleaning or refinishing your deck:
Mistake #1: Letting Nature Do The Work
If you think the wind and rain that come during the spring will clean your deck or porch for you, think again. All the elements can do is move around dirt and grime, not remove it.
Mistake #2: Not Clearing The Gaps
Allowing any part of your deck to accumulate dirt, leaves, and anything else in between the gaps of your deck boards can lead to serious issues. Any organic matter that’s left to rot can cause discoloration and premature rotting of wood (especially softer woods like pine and cedar). Also, because water tends to accumulate in any area where it cannot run off, it will pool and potentially cause your decking to warp and twist. Do your boards a favor, mind the gap and clear them out thoroughly.
Mistake #3: Excessive Powerwashing
Decking materials, whether they be as strong as Ipe or made of composite materials, are not steel or glass. They can be damaged by prolonged power washing, using the wrong tip, or too high of a PSI. If you have never pressure washed a deck before, you need to do the following:
- Use a fan tip
- Wash along the grain and the length of the board
- Never aim too close to the deck surface
Mistake #4: Not Cleaning Your Deck Prior To Refinishing
So, let’s say you have a new deck made of Ipe and it’s due for its very first annual refinishing. Instead of reading the directions, you simply sweep off some leaves and dirt and apply the oil. Everything looks fine the first day, but after a while you notice strange markings on your deck. Surely, it must be the oil! Nope. The oil did its job. Unfortunately, it’s not enough to sweep off your deck prior to oiling it. It has to be thoroughly cleaned so the finishing solution of your choice can adhere to the grain and protect the wood. If there’s dirt still left in the wood, the oil cannot properly soak into the surface. Use a wood deck cleaner and brightener to prevent giving yourself more work and an ugly deck to look at.
Mistake #5: Not Checking The Weather Prior To Refinishing
It’s Saturday morning and you are going to oil your hardwood deck first thing in the morning. You oil your deck in no time flat. Sunday morning, everything still looks good. Then it rains. You don’t notice it at first, but after a few days you notice the finish is uneven and it looks like the wood has spots all over it. What happened? Because the oil had not yet fully dried and settled
into the wood, the finish became uneven. To prevent this from happening, make sure your deck is completely dry 24 hours prior to and after applying any finish or sealer.
The Exception To The Rule
The best way to ensure you never make these mistakes is by building a deck out of composite decking. Popular brands like Trex, TimberTech and Fiberon are wrapped in a protective plastic shell which won’t rot and come with 25-year stain and fade warranties. You can also use a 100% PVC product like Azek or Zuri which don’t use any organic materials and have longer warranties. Composites are the best low-maintenance option since all it takes is a little soap and water to keep it looking brand new.
Conclusion
Avoid these mistakes and you can give yourself the best chance of not spending a lot of time and money on future deck maintenance and repairs. Instead, you can clean your deck, apply a finish, and enjoy it for the remainder of the year. Or, you can build a composite deck and save yourself a little time and elbow grease.
RisherMartin Fine Homes was presented the 2016 Fred Case Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Hanley Woods Remodeling Gala in Kansas City, Missouri. The most prestigious honor in the remodeling industry, the annual Fred Case Award is presented to the industry’s brightest and most innovative firm. Bruce Case, the President and CEO of Case Design stated, “RisherMartin Fine Homes was a clear choice because of their best in class operations that are driven by a suite of hardware, software, and cloud based applications that allow them to collaborate quickly and accurately, all within the complex operation of a renovation firm.”