Filed under: Your Home, Projects, How-To, Cleaning
Take the time to do it right. Photo: Olympic Stain
Here's how to give your deck a summertime spruce up.
It's clear that our decks could use a little help. There are 40 million decks in the U.S. that are over 20 years old, according to the North American Deck and Railing Association. In a deck this old, the wood may be seriously weathered. But how do you make your deck more attractive? "It can be a mind-boggling process to deal with a deck," says Susan Uram, brand manager at Olympic Exterior Stain.
But don't knock down and rebuild just yet. Take the "deck tests" to figure out if your deck needs a makeover. Then follow our tips for avoiding deck disasters.
First, try these tests.
1. The tape peel test is ideal for older decks that may need to be stripped before stained. Cut a small "X" in a couple of random spots on the deck (a putty knife will do), but be careful not to cut into the wood. Cover the cuts with duct tape, press firmly, and quickly remove tape. If there are flakes of old wood on the tape, it's time to strip the deck and start fresh. (For more info on this test, view Olympic's Tape Peel Test video.)
2. The water absorption test helps you know if your wood is ready for stain. Pour a cup of water over some parts of your deck, and if the water absorbs into the wood in less than 10 minutes, you need to stain the deck. (For a video on the process, view this video on how to do a water absorption test on your deck.)
Power washing probably isn't necessary.
A power washer -- even the low-intensity models from home improvement stores -- are still powerful enough to wreck and gouge even the hardest of wood, if you don't know how to properly use the equipment. "You can drive a lot of dirt and mildew into the wood when you power wash," says Uram. "Your best bet is to simply hose off the deck."
Don't rush.
"Many deck owners hope to slam down stain and have a party the same night," says Rob Pogue, technical manager of stains and alkyds at Olympic Stain. "If you expect the deck to look a certain way, you need to take the time to figure it out." He adds that harried homeowners will usually forget to clean and maintain the underside of a raised deck in the rush to get the season underway.
Invest in the fence.
When adding the underside of a deck to your maintenance list, don't forget to clean, prep and stain surrounding fences. It helps to keep the deck in good shape and also aids in curb appeal. "We've seen so many redone decks, but the fences look terrible," says Pogue. "Fences are like straws sticking up from the ground, they suck in more moisture than horizontal surfaces, so deck cleaner and stain on a fence is every bit as important."
When in doubt, turn to the web.
The Olympic Stain site has several helpful instructional videos to help you determine what your deck needs, like if it's ready for a new stain or how to remove old coatings.
Final thought.
Take this last bit of sage advice from Pogue: "Rot happens," he says. "You'll know it's bad when your dog won't go out to relax on the deck and your friends look nervous when they walk on it."