A Simple Guide to Restoring Your Wooden Deck

Your deck deserves proper maintenance. Taking the time to clean and stain this outdoor living area helps restore its overall appearance and even extend its lifespan.

Handyman Connection® of Lexington-Nicholasville, your local home maintenance pros, provides a simple guide to make your wooden deck look good as new.

Sweep and Scrub

Any loose dirt, twigs, leaves or any debris on the surface of the wooden deck must be swept away. Then, check the spaces between the wooden boards for loose leaves. Remove them right away to prevent them from causing wood rot. Once done, use your putty knife to remove stains stuck on the crevices and the surface of the deck boards.

From there, you can begin cleaning the deck. Dilute equal parts bleach with equal parts of warm water. Soak it on small areas of the deck, especially areas affected by mold and mildew, and use your scrub brush to remove algae and mildew. Use a pressure washer, however, if you want to clean a large part of the deck. Spray and soak the bleach-water mixture on the boards before pressure washing it. Let it dry completely for two to three days.

Apply a Stain or Seal

Applying a stain or seal on the wood deck boosts its visual appeal. Choosing the latter helps repel water and stop rot. Before you do this, let the whole deck dry after cleaning it.

Use a roller to stain or seal the deck so you can have a thin, uniform coat. It should be able to cover at least two wooden boards at once. Apply another coat to avoid missing a spot. Do this task during dry weather with low to average humidity to facilitate faster drying. Never stain or seal under direct sunlight – doing so may shorten the deck’s longevity.

Make your deck look new again by entrusting this task to the local pros of Handyman Connection of Lexington-Nicholasville. Apart from cleaning and staining decks, we also design, install and repair them. Give us a call at (859) 274-4477, or fill out our contact form to request an estimate.