If the winter has left your wood deck looking weathered, worn and shabby and you’ve been ignoring it ever since, now is when you need to get your deck ship-shape before you start the summer outdoor entertaining season.
The Best Time to Prep Your Deck
Experts say that the best time to prepare your deck for summer is mid-to-late spring, specifically when temperatures are consistently between 50 and 90 degrees and rain is not in the forecast. Cleaning and staining during this period ensures the wood is protected before peak heat and humidity arrive. So if you haven’t done it already, May is the month to clean, repair, and refinish!
Steps to Clean, Repair, and Refinish a Wood Deck
- Spray down the deck with a commercial deck cleaner.
- Use a pressure washer or scrub brush to remove mildew and dirt. Be careful not to hold the pressure washer nozzle too close to the wood, and keep it moving to keep from damaging the deck.
- Replace any deteriorated boards, and reattach loose boards with nails or decking screws. Drive in any protruding nails.
- Use a rotary or belt sander to smooth rough spots to prevent splinters.
- Finish the deck with a solid or semitransparent stain, or a clear deck sealer. Apply the stain or sealer in a pump sprayer, saturating one area at a time.
- While the finish is wet, use a paintbrush to back brush the stain or sealer into the grain of the wood to provide a smooth finish.
—
Photo Credit: CLP Media / Shutterstock.com
