Handy Provides You with Tips on Maintaining Your Hardwood Deck

Introduction

According to Handy, proper maintenance of your hardwood deck is crucial if you want to keep it in good condition for years to come. These include scheduled inspections for damage, raised or warped surfaces, cleaning, and refinishing. Without periodic maintenance, the wood can begin to wear down sooner and even begin to rot. Ultimately, it’s easier and less expensive to keep the hardwood deck in good condition than to restore or replace it.

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few tips you can follow to maintain your hardwood deck:

Regularly inspect the hardwood deck for signs of damage – Regular inspections would allow you to spot any structural damage or other signs of damage such as rotting wood due to moisture as early as possible and prevent the condition from becoming worse. Ensure you keep the surface clean to prevent the accumulation of tough-to-remove dirt, debris, and dust.

When checking the condition of the hardwood deck, put pressure against the railings to check the connections of the railings. All exposed or raised nails should be replaced with wood screws. You can use exterior wood filler to fill any holes in the boards and replace rusted hardware.

Replace damaged sections – Over a period of time, nature will take its toll on the hardwood deck surface even if you perform regular inspections. In such cases, it can become necessary to replace the damaged sections. You can remove old boards using a claw hammer. Just ensure that the replacement board is cut to the same dimensions is of the same type of wood and is coated or stained to match the other sections. 

You can use a screw drill or power drill bit to install the new boards. Consider replacing all the boards if there are multiple sections that need replacement. This would allow the deck to appear fresh and new.

Give your deck a thorough cleaning annually – It is recommended that you clean your hardwood deck thoroughly once a year to make it almost as good as new. Spring is an ideal season for such a cleaning since the temperature remains mild. You can use a bristle brush to scrub the surface and spray biodegradable outdoor cleaner to remove mildew if necessary.

To remove debris from between deck boards that you cannot reach using a scrub or broom, you can use a putty knife. You can use a pressure washer at a low setting but remember to follow the instructions in the manual to avoid damaging the surface of the wood.

Apply a wood stain or sealant – A wood stain or sealant forms a protective layer over the surface of the wooden deck and helps to guard it against the elements. Ensure you wear safety goggles and a dust mask to protect your eyes during the process.

Conclusion

Handy suggests you sand the surface of the hardwood deck using an orbital sander before staining it. It would allow you to create a smoother deck surface which would enable the wood to absorb the coating better.