If you like most home owners, your Deck is a great place for family and friends together. Of course, a wood deck can experience the worst Mother Nature has to offer. Hi! I am Mike Kraft with these steps we will show you how to protect your investment.
Cleaning and treating your deck on a regular basis, typically every two to three years or more in extreme climates, will extend its life. Deck exposed to usual weatherization like this one here can look dirty. They can look grayed and decayed wood fibers and will have tenants stains from leaves or from cook out spills. New deck needs a good standing to help prevent these things from happening. So, how do you know your deck needs treatment. Well, once every six months sprinkle a few drop of water on the wood, if the water bids up you are in pretty good shape, if not it's time to stain.
You should plan to clean and treat your wood deck, when the weather forecast calls for three rain free days in a row and temperatures between 15 and 19 degree Fahrenheit. You want to determine the type of stain for your project. There are four basic finishes, clear or natural stains are nearly transparent allowing the wood's grain and texture to show through. Toner type stain are popular for adding rich wood tone beauty without hiding any natural character. Semi-transparent stains mostly mask to wood grain. Solid stains add rich opaque color so no wood shows through, the more solid the color the better the UV protection. Sheers stains are ideal when long lasting non-peeling durability is important.
We carry a wide variety of stain finishers and colors, one of them is sure to be just right for your home. Now, in all cases check the manufacturer's instructions for calculating the amount of stain you will need, coverage varies depending on what type of surface you are standing and what type of stain you are using. There are three basic steps to treating your deck, Surface Prep, Cleaning and Staining. An older deck must be clean, dry and porous for stain penetration and inhesion. From the safety stand point dressed accordingly, cover your arms, your legs and your feet. Wear eye protection and rubber gloves.
To prep the surface, you will need 80 Grit Sand paper, Drop Clothes, Tape and a Stiff Bristle Brush. First remove all deck furniture then trim and cover shrubs in the area. Next, repair damaged boards and sand rough edges, you may find a poll sander useful, if you are tackling large areas. Finally sweep off the deck. The next step is cleaning, follow the stain manufacturer's recommendations for proper cleaning procedures. Now for our project we will need a wood striper and a wood brightener. You might also need a pump type sprayer or a paint brush for application, a bucket, a cleaning brush and a garden hose or the nozzle. A pressure washer can make the cleaning job easy and thorough and Lowe's has the washer accessories and supplies for every job.
If you are cleaning Red Wood, cedar or mahogany, use a wood cleaner specifically formulated for these surfaces. One design to remove tan and stains, using a sprayer literally apply the wood striper and let it stand for minimum of 15 minutes but don't allow the wood striper to dry. If it does begin to dry lightly mix this surface with the garden hose and immediately rinse off any solution that gets on the siding . Once the wood striper has had time to work, rinse the surface with the garden hose or pressure washer on a low setting. If you use a wood striper, you have to follow up with the wood brightener. This solution may remove any discoloration. Mix the brightener with water according to the manufacturer's instructions, then apply the solution with the pump sprayer and let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes. If the brightener begins to dry mix the surface with the hose and if the solution comes in contact with the siding immediately rinse it off.
Use a cleaning brush on any trouble spots. Giving extra attention to mold and mildew and when working on vertical surfaces, work from the bottom up to avoid uneven appearances. Finally, rinse off the deck with the garden hose or nozzle or a pressure washer on a medium setting. Repeat the process if necessary and once your deck is thoroughly clean and thorough is the key word, allow it to dry for at least 48 hours. Then mask off any areas of the home that may come in contact with the stain, typically this is three feet above or below the deck.
Now, it's time for step three applying the stain. You want to avoid staining in the heat of the day or in direct sunlight when the stain could dry too quickly. First, gather your tools and materials, you need a stain of course, a paint roller with extension pole, a paint tray, a good point paint brush for deck boards, a one or two inch trim brush for detail work, some rubber gloves and mineral spirits for clean up.
First, open the stain and completely stir it, if you are using multiple gallons combine them into a five gallon bucket to assure color consistency. Then pour small amount of stain into your pain tray, using a paint roller apply a thin coat of stain to a two or three board section. Work from one end to the other, assuring that the stain penetrates the wood. Keeps your coats thin, generally two thin coats are better then one thick one. Repeat this process on all woods surfaces, even the ends of the boards. Use a paint brush to apply the stain in tight areas, there is no need to stain in the support beams however you may choose to for aesthetic reasons.
Once all areas are coated, allow the deck to dry for at least 24 hours, then you can pick your patio furniture back and enjoy the beauty of your deck. Your deck adds to your home's value and proper maintenance will maximize both your enjoyment and your deck's life. Learn about other how to projects at lowes.com/videos.
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