When you have a deck, you will want to check it once a year to make sure that it stays in good shape. Choose the spring or the fall, and check your deck for damage, loose nails, and other wear. Continue reading to learn how you can get your deck in check.
Inspect the Wood on Your Deck
The wood on your deck needs to be maintained so that it lasts. You need to clean it, sand it, polish it, and paint it from time to time. Start by looking for any parts that are rotting. If you find soft or spongy wood, you can repair or replace it. Look for any splinters, and you can sand them. Check the support, including the posts, ledger boards, joists under the deck, railings, and stairs.
Look for Nails Out of Place
Often the wood is secured to the deck with nails, and they can pop up over time. Check through the deck and replace any nails that are coming out. The wood expands and contracts as the temperature changes, which is what causes nails to come out. You can also replace nails with screws, which will hold the boards in more tightly.
When to Stain or Paint the Deck
Staining or painting the deck is a part of maintenance. Generally, you need to refinish them every two or three years. When you inspect the deck, you will look for signs that it needs to be refinished.
You want to look for signs of peeling, bubbling, or flaking. When the wood shrinks and expands, the paint or stain isn’t able to keep up with the process. This is what causes the peeling and flaking.
How to Refinish the Deck
When you are refinishing your deck, start by making any repairs. Then, you should power wash the deck. This will remove any peeling or flaking paint, and it will make sure that all of the dirt, mildew, and debris is removed from the deck.
If you have a painted deck and want to stain it, you need to strip the paint off first. If you plan to repaint, you can clean, sand, and then paint it. If you are refinishing a deck that has a sealer, you can clean it, sand it, and replace the sealer.
Use an orbital sander to sand the deck. You should use 60- or 80- grit sandpaper on the deck boards. After you finish sanding, you can vacuum the surfaces. You don’t want to wash it again because it will make the wood rough again as washing raises the wood grains.
Next, you can choose the stain or paint, and apply it to the deck. You can use a stain applicator to apply the stain to your deck. Let the stain soak into the deck, and then you can wipe up any extra with a rag. If you choose to paint your deck, do so just as you would another surface. You can use a roller to roll the paint on, and be sure to let it dry thoroughly.