Maintain Your Deck Post Holiday
As you had probably expected, the fourth was a bombastic holiday. Your family gathered and had a great time, memories were created, food was eaten. The thing is, though, that the deck is a mess once it has all been said and done. By now, you’ve probably straightened up a bit to cover up the tracks of the partying. The trash is picked up, the table is wiped down, the chairs have been organized. Whatever the process is, things look cleaner. However, while we’re on the topic of cleaning the deck, have you considered its maintenance yet? Whether you are an experienced deck owner or a new one, learning new tips and tricks to keep your deck looking fresh and healthy is always something to be welcomed.
After the crazy holiday, while picking up the leftover cups and plates and beer cans, why not take a few steps more and make sure that deck is sturdy and good to go. You never know if rot, something to be considered as deck cancer, is hiding just under your feet.
Keeping the Deck Clean and Sturdy
Decks do not last forever on their own. They need the love and care of the homeowners to thrive for long periods of time, so that they can keep giving those memories that you seek. Here are some things that you can do to make sure that the lifespan of your deck reaches longer than a few years…
Check the stability of your deck by placing weight onto deck boards and the side railings. If anything feels as if it could buckle underneath you, it is definitely a good idea to get the thing in question checked or even replaced. One place of significance is the ledger board, connecting the deck to the house. According to HouseLogic, around 90% of structural failures for decks involve a faulty ledger board.
Give the deck a good sweep. Make sure to move everything out of your way, such as your table and chairs, to begin sweeping away any debris or trash. For the junk that gets in between the deck boards, several sources such as the Home Depot and Bobvila recommend using a putty knife to scrape the stuff away.
Check for rot and rust! This is a biggie. Referred to above as deck cancer, this calamity can mean the end of your deck. It is important to keep an eye out for it and take care of it should the need arise. Any boards or parts of a deck affected will need to be removed and replaced to avoid structural weakness.
Again, many sources such as the Home Depot recommend that you keep up an annual schedule of deck maintenance. The Home Depot also recommends using a biodegradable cleaner to be used when spraying your deck, so that you don’t harm the grass and other plant life around your deck.
Be wary of power washing the deck. Use a low setting if you decide to, because a higher setting or uneven cleaning can lead to an ugly mess for your deck surface.
When cleaning, cover your plants with a tarp of some kind in order to protect them.
To Stain or Not to Stain
This is something significant to consider if you have a wooden deck. Regular, exposed wood is bare to the elements, and as such can be pretty badly warped by this exposure. From storms swelling the boards to UV rays from the harsh summer sun discoloring the surface, many bad things can happen when you do not use a good deck sealant.
There are also different types of sealant to consider, such as oil-based or water-based. Each has their pros and cons, and varies in price. Check out this article by Bobvila to make a decision on what kind of sealant you want to use.
Conclusion
Keeping your deck good to go can be a bit of a process, and can take longer than one day to do properly. The long term however makes it totally worth it. It is a necessary chore to prolong your deck’s life and keep it visually appealing and comfortable. This is especially necessary as a host of get togethers on the holidays. If you were successful in your last outing on the Fourth and are potentially considering another go on, say, Labor Day, you definitely want to put in the extra effort in order to keep everybody coming back for more.