Proper wood deck maintenance is key

Machele Hamilton Painting

No way around it, one of the biggest maintenance issues we are faced with every year is our decks. We love our backyards and patios, and keeping our decks in healthy condition is part of the price. This job could easily become the largest job you do this season, so make sure you arm yourself with some information before tackling it.

Even if your deck has been ignored for years, is old, gray, cracked and withering, there is still proper prep work to be done before you put a treatment on it. That gray withered look might make it seem your wood is crying out for moisture (and it is), but it is physically unable to absorb anything at this point. You must sand, or dissolve, that ugly layer of gray away to properly prepare the surface, or most of what you put on won’t do anything but sit on top, eventually evaporating.

Even if your deck has not reached the gray point, it will probably need to have at least a good cleaning before you proceed. When I say good cleaning, I don’t mean your garden hose or broom, but an actual chemical cleaner that will help eat away the dirt and pollution that has collected since your last treatment.

The best way to prepare a deck is with these chemical cleaners and a power washer, although care must be taken whenever using a power washer, as it is easy to damage the wood surface. The deck cleaner is applied with a broom, allowed to sit and work a bit, then the power washer helps to remove it along with a layer of grime, leaving your deck looking freshly sanded. Of course, you can remove this layer without a pressure washer; you will just need a bit more elbow grease. Also, it is important to remember a deck must dry thoroughly before anything is applied.

The big debate today is latex vs. oil stains, and actually today they even have stains which have been nicknamed “hybrids,” a combination of oil and latex (I know, oil and water, go figure!). They are a water-based product with beads of oil floating within that are released as you apply it.

Whether you decide to go with oil, latex or a hybrid, it is important to remember a solid body or opaque stain will leave pigment on the surface of your wood, making it look painted. So if a solid surface is the look you are going for, this is what you want. Just remember that solid body stains will also peel in the future, just as paint does.

Semi-transparent or transparent tinted stains or sealers soak into the wood, giving more of an “oiled,” natural look. But because they are see-through, they are not able to drastically change the color of your wood or hide flaws.

I personally have used all the different types of cleaners, brighteners and the many types of stains from the Super Deck line of products. I find them to be good products at a reasonable cost, and they are available from Kwal or Sherwin-Williams in Nampa.