Get Your Deck Ready For Summertime Fun!
The weather is warming up and it is time to start having backyard parties. Does your deck need some TLC? If your deck is looking a little tired, we can help bring it back to life. Let us help put the finishing touches on your deck, so you can have your friends over and enjoy it. Decks are often let go much longer than they should be, between refinishing. We recommend that a deck be restained every 2-3 years. When you have a flat surface that water sits on during the winter, the wood really takes a beating.
Now if you want a few tips to make sure your deck looks and stays great, keep reading.
How To Keep Your California Deck Looking Great
Here are the steps needed to keep your deck looking great:
- CHECK YOUR DECK FOR DRY ROT. Rot can be a serious problem if left unrepaired. Walk around your deck; you don’t need any tools. Just do a visual inspection, and use your feet. Look for crumbling sections, large cracks, or spores growing. If you see these signs, you can use a screw driver to poke around, and if it is soft, you have rot and will need to replace it before starting to refinish. If you don’t, the problem will only get worse and spread to other areas.
- CLEAN YOUR DECK. Once you have cleared it off and checked for rot, then it is time to pressure wash it. You will need a pressure washer, deck cleaning solution, and a scrub brush. Be very careful as pressure washers pack a lot of pounds of pressure and can easily damage the wood if done improperly. You want to wet the deck, apply the cleaner, scrub the deck removing all mildew, moss, etc. You want to make sure you get everything out of the gaps between the wood. Then do a final pressure wash to rinse it off.
- Now you are ready to APPLY A STAIN. You can use a clear transparent stain, semi-transparent, or semi-solid depending on how much of the grain you want to show through. The darker the stain the better UV protection provided. Make sure all your sprinklers are turned off, and that the deck has dried a full day since washing. Clean off any leaves or debris that may have settled on the deck overnight. Now you are ready to apply the stain. You need a brush and roller, bucket, and the stain. As you apply the stain make sure to keep a wet edge and go with the grain of the wood. Do not over apply the stain as it will take days to dry and remain sticky. Most of today’s stain are one coat products. After fully drying, you are ready to enjoy!
Deck Painting & Staining Services in Davis, CA
If this seems like a lot of work, it’s because it is! You can hire a professional to do it. Give Brooks Painting a call at 530-753-5074 for your free estimate.
