Wood Deck Restoration Tips

The procedure followed to restore a deck's great look is simple, regardless of the type of wood used for its construction. First step is to clean it, second step is to diagnose it and treat any discoloration. Third and last step is to protect the result with a durable finish.

Steps involved in restoration process:

By cleaning the surface, invisible barriers such as wax or mill glaze are removed to open unclogged wood pores allowing trapped moisture to escape from them, which minimizes cracking and splitting before and after coating.

Choose a product to clean that is mild and gentle without dissolving the wood structure or bleaching the surface. After this a wood stripper is used to remove the type of coating that is used on your wood. After cleaning a clear or tinted water repellent sealer, pigmented stain, or a wood preservative coating should be applied to the surface depending on the level of protection and the look you want to achieve. Water repellent coatings prevent water and moisture absorption thereby minimizing structural damage like cracking or warping.

Use a preservative or stain coating to give a finished look. Stain coatings contain pigment to provide color and protection against UV damage. Whereas preservative coats are formulated to resist fungal attack on the wood surface and also offer an insecticide to protect wood in ground contact or water contact installations from termites and other wood-destroying insects.

Restoration products and maintenance:

1. Cleaners such as phosphoric acid, trisodium phosphate, bleach and pressure spraying can be used mixing a particular quantity with other chemicals that clean gently.

2. Calcium chloride salts will reduce the effectiveness of a water-repellent coating.

3. Pitch stains, or crystallized sap, found mainly around the knots of pressure-treated wood, can be removed with turpentine or simply scraped away.

4. Do not use a metal shovel to remove snow from a deck.