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Adding a beautiful wood deck can be a good way to increase your overall home value of your home, but taking care of it is a whole other matter. Unless you bought pre-sealed wood, you're going to have to take the time to maintain your deck, or your investment will quickly go to pieces.
Here's some tips on how to weatherproof your deck, and make it easier to maintain.
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This is a vital step and will impact the finished results. Take the time to make sure that the deck is really clean, even in between the boards. A pressure washer (or power washer) will make short work of this chore, but you can also do the same thing with a hose or a pressure sprayer.
After the deck is completely dry, it’s time to sand down any damage, imperfections or snags. A power sander is recommended for this task, and will save you a lot of time and effort. Do at least one pass on all of the boards and make sure that they are completely smooth.
Once you’re done power sanding, there will be some dust left behind so it’s now time to completely sweep away all of your shavings. Take the time to make sure you get it all to avoid sealing in particles.
In this step you'll have to decide what's best - if the wood is already the right color or in good shape, sealing it should be sufficient. If not, you may need to stain it first. This can take up to 3-4 coats, depending on the depth and intensity of the desired finished color. Decide which method is right for you, and then double check to make sure that all of the shavings are gone.
Using only 1 coat of sealant or staining may cause bubbles in the finish and may impact the overall effectiveness of your weatherization preparation. Make sure that your family knows they cannot walk on the deck until this process is completely done. It may take up to 2 coats of sealant, depending on the brand and your decks condition.
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