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All Hands on Deck!
 After
winter snows melt, you may find your deck dirty, mildew-stained
and wearing a coat of gray. Even without the cold weather,
sun beating down on the wood turns it gray, rain makes it
swell and twist, and furniture scrapes its surface. Fortunately,
it’s easy to restore your deck to its natural beauty
so you can enjoy it during the warm months ahead. And, protecting
your deck will allow you to enjoy the outside of your home
for years to come.
Before you begin to revive a tired-looking
deck, check for rotten wood. If wood is rotten, a screwdriver
will push easily into it and the surface fibers will pull
away easily. If you find rotten or damaged wood, be sure to
replace it.
If the finish on your deck is really too
far gone to save, you have to start by using a remover. There
are many different strengths of deck finish removers depending
on the type of finish you have – solid, semi, sealers
etc. Each is specifically designed to remove the old finish
and get the surface ready for a deck cleaner to do its work.
Save time and stripper solution by first scraping away most
of the old finish residue using a Dynamic Bent Chisel paint
scraper. Just scrape the surface enough to remove any loose,
flaky material.
Apply the stripper with a Dynamic 10mm paint
roller or a good quality Dynamic natural bristle brush. Scrub
loosened finish off the surface with a Dynamic Deck Scrub
brush. Rinse thoroughly with clean water and let dry totally.
Before applying the remover, be sure to
put on rubber boots and protect your hands with Dynamic heavy
duty rubber gloves. Also wear safety glasses or goggles to
protect your eyes. If you're going to be on your hands and
knees for a while, rubber kneepads will be welcome, too! Lastly,
be sure to cover any plants that may be sensitive.
 If
your deck looks only a little worn or weathered, a simple
cleaning will probably do the trick using. Apply the cleaner
according to package directions and allow to dry. After cleaning
you could apply a clear or tinted water repellent sealer,
pigmented stain, or a wood preservative coating, depending
on the level of protection and the look you want to achieve.
By properly cleaning and sealing your deck, you'll restore
it to its original beauty and help preserve it for years to
come. How do you know if your deck needs sealing? Just sprinkle
a few drops of water on the deck surface and watch to see
if it is absorbed. If the water soaks in fairly quickly, the
wood needs to be recoated – if the water beads up, the
coating is still protecting the surface.
Both strippers and cleaners evaporate rapidly
and can become ineffective on hot, dry days. A cool, overcast
day extends the working time of these solutions. You can work
on the deck in sections over several days if you don't have
time to do the whole deck at once.
Beware that any stain
does eventually weather and fade, so reapplication will
be necessary depending on where you live, the deck's orientation
to the sun, and how much foot traffic it gets. The cycle of
maintenance also varies by the type of stain applied with
the general rule being the less pigmented (clear finishes)
the finish is, the more often the maintenance work will need
to be done.
For more painting and staining tips
and tricks, visit www.getpainting.com
or a Dynamic
dealer near you!
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