How to Treat Your Messy Deck - JOMA Construction Blog

Saturday morning comes around and with a bizarre stroke of luck you have no looming projects, no honey-do list, and you found beer in the fridge that you forgot about. It’s a deck day. Oh wait, that’s right, your deck is gross. It’s covered in mildew and wet leaves are poking out of every crack. You missed it. Your perfect deck day is ruined. Go ahead and text your friends that you are not cool anymore and they should have a cookout on someone else's deck without you.

-OR-

Treat your deck now. This is about maintaining an outdoor living space. 

[OUTDOOR]- as in, the earth with all of its might is constantly trying to reclaim it. It’s going to take some work, but if you fix it now you will be able to summer like is 2017.   #JUNE21soltice #plentyoftime.

GET THE EASY STUFF OUT OF THE WAY

Check for loose Nails and Screws- Pressure treated wood changes size and shape every day as it heats up and cools down. Nails and screws will eventually wiggle out of place. You don’t want to realize this after catching a toe on one. If you have a really bad looking board that you want to replace go ahead and do that. Pressure treated lumber should sit out and dry for a few months before you put product on it but you can get away with a few weeks this summer. Or use KDAT, You watched the video didn't you?

KEEP YOUR DECK TREATED

For the rest of us, Maintaining your deck can be done in three easy steps.

CLEAN the wood thoroughly.

APPLY your favorite product according to the instructions on the can.

ENJOY! Because before you know it you’ll have to do this again.

SEALER

Thompson waterseal was the go-to last century but avoid it. Sealer helps with moisture and mildew, but it only lasts one season (if that) and does not provide much in the way of UV protection. It is easy to apply using a garden pump sprayer and you can get away with putting it on an ill prepared deck if it is pretty clean. Thomson’s is also invisible, but if you're still reading about deck treatments I know your deck looks a little rough. Don’t feel guilty. I suggest using a product that protects better than water-seal and enhances the look of your old wood. If you are putting in the effort use a better product. Product Life- 4 months

STAIN

Deck stain works much like a sealer but with added colorant and sunblock. This category is vast as there are tinted water seals (usually a light color- just enough to make your wood look less gray) to thick, multi-coat finishes with a sheen such as Cabot Australian Timber Oil. Application can vary as well. Anything thicker than gasoline and you'll have to put away the garden pump sprayer. Rolling, brushing, or spraying with a powered paint sprayer will work the best for these options. Product life - 1- 2 years. These are mostly oil based, so get some mineral spirits for clean up.

SEMI-SOLID STAIN

With advancements in water based coatings we get a newer line of products that are easy to work with and perform extremely well. Semi-solid treatments leave some visible wood grain but unlike stain are nearly opaque. This is exciting for a few reasons: One is the superb sun protection- containing UV blockers as well as a dose of titanium oxide(white colorant that makes paint opaque). You can also achieve a color range that is almost unlimited. From a white “pickle” to disco-pants-purple and everything in between, you can have a paint-desk employee mix your custom color on the spot. At Lowes, you can pick any color chip off the wall and they will happily mix it into your semi-solid base. Application is a little more tedious than stain only because you need to apply the semi-solid relatively evenly, with a brush, roller, or powered paint sprayer (think handheld Wagner) but it is water clean up and it also dries incredibly quickly. To-the-touch in an hour and have-a-party in 24 hours. Product life- 2-5 years.

SOLID COLOR DECK "STAIN"

I know what it looks like. But it's not. Painting a deck with traditional latex paint would result in a sticky, peeling mess that would scratch the moment you put a chair down. Solid color stain is different. It penetrates into the pores of the wood to create an inseparable bond. It dries just as quickly as the semi solid, and you are left with a matte finish that is waterproof, stain resistant, and the best UV protection of all of the products. Like the semi solid, you have a lot of control over color as your store can match just about anything into a solid stain. Once you go solid, you can't go back to any grain showing finishes. You are stuck with solid forever, however, you can re-coat with a new color anytime. This is the product I just used on my deck. I applied it with a portable HVLP paint sprayer, but you can roll, brush, and spray this stuff with any of the supplies you would have on hand from your previous home painting projects. Water Clean up. Lasts 3-6 years

DECK RESTORATION PRODUCTS

Deep cracks can be filled, but not without a lot of work. I opted out of this product even with the severe cracking on my deck. The point of these products is to fill blemishes and cracks of existing deck boards so you can achieve a smooth finish. I have a few issues with this product. Its costs a lot, nearly the price of replacing lumber. And it is a lot of work to put down. My personal fear is, without proper prep, this product is far more likely to chip, flake, and peel than the others. If you folks tell me it’s good then I may try it later this year in lieu of new deck boards.

Before your start: Clean your deck the weekend before. Use Olympic Deck Cleaner. It works better than all home brew cleaners I have tried (everyone has a recipe or a favorite non olympic brand store bought favorite). Be sure to water your plants and grass surrounding your deck before using any cleaner to help prevent damage to your plants. Let it dry a whole week. RE-sweep your deck. Mask off areas that should not be stained, add sheet-plastic to larger areas such as siding and paved patios/walkways nearby. If spraying, move your cars out of the driveway and cover ponds. If you have a pool consider covering it entirely with your winter cover. I know its a pain but over spray will float on top of the water and form a ring around your vinyl pool liner that will never go away.

Now when that perfect day arrives and the Oscar Meyer Wiener-mobile has a fender-bender with a Coors Silver Bullet truck right in front of your house you will be ready for your perfect deck day. No charcoal grills on your deck please. And as for timing on me next deck treatment, my rule of thumb is being able to walk around on my deck in socks comfortably.

And if you ask:

“Why treat this old hunk-of-junk deck when I want to replace it with my multi-level dream deck and outdoor kitchen?” -

WELL I KNOW WHO I WOULD CALL IN THAT CASE :)