How to Properly Clean and Seal a Deck

The outdoor deck area is a worthwhile investment that extends your living space and adds value to your home. As with all important investments, it’s vital that you properly maintain it and its great appearance. Handyman Connection® of Novi explains how to clean and seal a deck the right way.

Tools and Materials

Before anything else, you need to secure a few things. These include:

• A foam roller

• A broom

• A putty knife and flat pad applicator

You’ll also want to grab these materials:

• A deck cleaning kit

• Exterior stains

• Deck sealers and bleach

The First Steps

Start by cleaning the deck and getting rid of all the debris such as leaves, twigs, and dirt that can get stuck between the boards. Don’t underestimate the leaves as they can encourage rotting if they fall between the slats. Use your handy putty knife to get in between these and scoop out the leaves.

Next, mix bleach and some warm water and use the mixture to scrub the surface of the wood to get rid of any mildew and algae. You’ll want to scrub it evenly throughout the surface and you can reach between the boards. For larger decks, we recommend using a pressure washer. Just remember to dilute the bleach mixture as the combination of strong pressure and solution may be too much for the surface of the deck.

Staining and Sealing

After washing and cleaning the boards, you want to let it sit for a while for around 30 minutes to an hour. Once that’s done, you’ll want to use your flat pad applicator and carefully go over the boards with the stain or deck sealer. It’s important that you do this toward the direction of the grain to cover the deck completely.

For larger decks, it’s better to use a foam roller to cover large areas in one go. You’ll want to stain and reseal the deck at least twice a year, although we recommend checking its condition after a storm or other inclement weather.

Let Handyman Connection of Novi help you with larger decks. Call us today at (248) 255-4080 or fill out our form to learn more about our services.