Wood Deck Maintenance Tips

Some maintenance tips are:

1. The water puddles sit on a deck or porch for more than two days, brush them off. Standing water can cause mildew to form on the surface of a coating.

2. The Pitch stains, or crystallized sap, found mainly around the knots of pressure-treated wood, can be removed with turpentine or simply scraped away. Turpentine will not harm an existing coating. Pitch is non-water soluble, organic wood extractive material found in species such as Southern and White Pine.

3. Do not use a metal shovel to remove snow from a deck; it can pierce the underlying coating and cause it to erode.

4. Only use sodium chloride types of salt on a wood deck or porch that has been water-sealed or stained. Calcium chloride salts will reduce the effectiveness of a water-repellent coating.

Good type of maintenance:

1. preparation 2. cleaning products 3. sealing 4. traditional decking material

Types of maintenance required:

The cleaning involves the removal of dirt, algae, moss, and other organic matter. Resealing is accomplished applying a clear or semi-clear liquid sealant to all exposed surfaces. The Homeowners can do any of these tasks themselves, but often don't do them as well as a professional.

Many professional firms now offer this service. Prices and quality vary considerably. Typically the deck cleaning and sealing expenses run from the bottom end of that scale are a lot of firms that don't know much about what they are doing. Choose an experienced, high-quality.