Deck Maintenance 101 | Our Deck Got a Facelift

Our Deck FINALLY got a facelift!  We had our wood deck built about four years ago… honestly, after a few years and realizing the amount of work that goes into the maintenance of a wood deck, the next time around we are going with composite decking.  Better sustainability and less maintenance.  Anywho…

Last year, our friends at Thompson’s WaterSeal reached out to us asking if we would be interested in using some of their products on an outdoor project.  We said, “heck, yeah!” We needed a reason to get the deck cleaned and stained too (shhhh, don’t tell).  However, last year, the weather never played in our favor.  We couldn’t get enough sunny, cooler days to get the project done.  2013 was “thee” year!  Woo Hoo!  Soooo, I thought I would share a few Deck Maintenance 101 tips with all of you, along with the progress of our decks facelift.

Planning:

Planning includes the timing of your project, deciding on your products and gathering the necessary supplies.

Timing is super important since you’ll need time for drying after both the cleaning and the staining.  Trying to coordinate with Mother Nature isn’t always that easy, so keeping the forecast in mind is helpful.  Cleaning the deck can happen on a wet, hot, dry, sunny or humid day.  You just need to have a day or two for it to completely dry before staining.  When you’re planning to stain, be sure it’s not too hot or humid (stain can get sticky) and that you’ll have another two or three days for the stain to cure before any wet weather rolls in.  As you can see, planning is necessary…  it’s not usually something you can decide to do last minute unless you live in a state that is sunny and dry 90% of the time.  Not the case here in St. Louis {giggle}.

What products will you use!  Do your research…  depending what you need to remove will determine what product you’ll need for cleaning and then you’ll want to decide on your stain (color, water-based or oil-based, paint, etc).  The products we’re using on our deck are:

Thompson’s WaterSeal Heavy Duty Deck Cleaner
Thompson’s WaterSeal Waterproofer PLUS Tinted Wood Protector

What other supplies will you need?  Will you use a brush, sprayer or a roller?   Sprayers and rollers will get the job done much quicker.  If you choose to use a brush, be sure to use the right type of brush for the finish you are applying. Natural bristle brushes are usually recommended for oil-based finishes; synthetic brushes are best for water-based finishes.  It’s good to have a bucket to pour the stain into as well.   You’ll need to rent, borrow or purchase a powerwasher for this step as well.

It’s also important to know when it’s time to clean and stain your deck.  Here’s the proof that it was time for us!  Just a little wear and tear, right? {hee-hee}

Cleaning the Deck:

Be sure to thoroughly clean your deck before sealing, staining or painting.  The goal is to remove the dirt, stains from mildew and mold, waterproofers, wood stains, etc.  “Proper surface preparation is necessary for the best waterproofer application and performance.”  -Thompson’s WaterSeal.  So, grab that cleaner and powerwasher — and let’s get to it!

The hubby powerwashed the entire deck (bannisters, railings, stairs, etc).  NOTE:  Keep in mind that you need to carefully powerwash.  You can easily tear up the wood.

And then we let her dry…  Steve did a little sanding before staining too, just to smooth out a few of the spots that were a little rough.

She looks like she was just built!  Fabulous.  Now we move on to the staining.

Staining the Deck:

Depending on the job, brushes, rollers and exterior applicator pads can be ideal for easy product application. The hubby used a brush for better coverage.  He used it before and thought about using a roller this year, but decided he didn’t want to experiment this time around.  I can’t say that I blame him one bit!  Go with what works.

Steve (aka the hubs, hubby, hottie), worked so hard!  It wasn’t miserably hot, but on a warm day with hard work like this — you’re sure to get a little sweaty!  I appreciate his willingness to work on these projects for us.  What did I do you ask?  Well, I was his beer girl, photographer and cheerleader (of course).  He’s a good man!  After hours of hard work, the deck was finished.

And it looks as good as new!  The Natural Cedar color was a perfect color choice too.  What do you think?

Clean Up:

Cleaning up typically requires mineral spirits if you use an oil-based waterproofer or stain.  If you use a water-based stain,  soap and water will do the trick — but be sure to double check the label to be certain. Cleaning up properly, drying, and carefully storing your tools will ensures that you’re ready to go when it’s time to start another project.

There you have some basic Deck Maintenance 101 tips to keep in mind for your next deck cleaning and staining or painting project!  A warm thanks to our friends at Thompson’s for supplying the complimentary product for this project.  Both the cleaner and the stain were great products.  The stain was easy to apply and cured perfectly.  After the first rain, we had beading… YAY!  We are truly loving our freshly stained deck and will be enjoying it even more as the Fall temps roll in.  Woo-Hoo!

Sharing at Between Naps on the Front Porch
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Thompson’s Sealer provided me with complimentary product for review .  All opinions are 100% mine.

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