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Having your deck
properly cleaned and sealed is
essential to its longevity. Cleaning
and sealing a deck should not be a
one time thing; it needs to be done
every couple of years. Most
professional deck cleaning
companies will offer a deck maintenance
program so that your wood deck looks
good all the time and lasts for years to
come. In this article we will answer
some common questions home owners have
pertaining to deck
maintenance.
How soon can I have
my new deck cleaned and sealed? Many
people have heard that you should let
your deck "dry out" for a year prior
to cleaning and sealing it. This is a
myth and the truth be told, most of
the damage is done to your deck in
the first 6 months or
so.
After
12 months the wood can be split and
cracked from water damage and will
have turned gray from the suns
damaging UV rays. At this point it
isn't too late to have it cleaned and
protected but the sooner the
better.
A professional deck
restoration company can take moisture
readings in the wood and let you know
for sure when your deck is ready to
be sealed. Usually within 1-3 months,
depending on the climate and location
of the deck, it will be ready for a
proper cleaning and some deck
sealer.
Is it possible to
restore a deck that has aged?
Depending on the situation an older
deck can be brought back to life. As
long as the boards aren't too warped
or rotted, getting rid of all the
gray dead wood fibers is not a
problem. Some sanding may be
necessary before it is sealed and
your deck contractor may offer those
services also.
Even if there is
some structural damage a deck
contractor could probably do some
repairs for you before having it
cleaned and sealed. A quality deck
cleaning contractor should be able to
make an assessment of your deck
before attempting to restore it, that
way you know what to
expect.
Can I clean and
seal my own deck? It is possible for
a do-it-yourselfer to restore their
own deck but I recommend they have
some knowledge of the chemicals used
and experience in using a pressure
washing unit. Wood is actually very
soft and when hit with too much water
pressure it can easily be marked and
scarred. Some people don't realize
all the skill and know how that is
essential in restoring a deck
properly and will sometimes get a
friend are family member to do it for
them.
Again I don't
recommend letting anyone lacking the
experience to touch your deck. When a
wooden deck is cleaned and sealed
improperly it will only cost you more
money to have it fixed and done right
the next time.
Can I just seal my
deck without washing it? The answer
to this question is NO, not if you
want the sealer to penetrate properly
and last. The number one reason a
sealer fails is because the wood was
not prepared properly. Even a very
expensive sealer is not going to do
its job unless the wood has been
prepped correctly.
Special chemicals
need to be used to remove dead
fibers, dirt, mildew and other
pollutants and it all has to be
cleaned using low water pressure so
the wood isn't damaged. In some cases
a deck sealer stripper is used to
remove an old failing sealer, it is
important to remove all traces of old
deck sealers so the
new sealer can adhere to the
wood.
More times than
not, most sealers will not adhere to
each other and some sealers won't
even adhere to itself after a certain
amount of time. Contractors using the
proper stripping technique will
depend heavily on their chemicals to
do the work so the right amount of
low pressure can be
used.
After the cleaning
or stripping process a neutralizing
step is then needed. The reason for
this is because the cleaner or
stripper used is considered a caustic
and will leave the wood with a high
PH level. Deck sealer does not adhere
well or properly in this situation. A
neutralizer is sprayed on the wood to
lower the PH and leave the wood more
acidic so the sealer will protect and
last a couple years like
expected.
Deck restoration
and maintenance is a wonderful
service when done right, it saves you
money by protecting your added living
space. Please understand that not all
deck cleaning
companies have the proper knowledge,
just like any industry there are the
unethical companies out there just
trying to make a buck, so be sure to ask
the contractor what his methods and
techniques are so you can get the
service you expect.
Author: Barry
Maddox
Company: Midwest Pro Wash
Website: Pressure
Washing
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