Your Wood Deck

Archive for the ‘Sealing and Maintenance’ Category

Wood decks have become a popular and important part of the home, adding versatile living space while requiring minimum maintenance. However, stress and extreme weather conditions can cause the decks to crack and spur mildew growth, which can lead to decay or insect attacks. To avoid these, it is recommended to use pressure treated lumber with a preservative or naturally durable woods like redwood or western red cedar. Applying an additional finish or using suitable paint will also minimize the growth of mildew, cracking, and raised grain.

Paints and Finishes

To preserve the life of the wood and add some color without hiding the grains or texture, penetrating finishes like water-repellent preservatives, colored water repellent preservatives and semi-transparent stains can be applied. An opaque deck stain can also be used so the wood grains cannot be seen. This oil based or latex product lasts longer than a semi transparent stain and is similar to paint in their pigmentation.

If you do not want wood grains or texture to be seen, the product to use would be deck paint or enamel, which lasts longer than any other stain. Best results can be achieved by using a primer on the wood first. With so many painting options available, it is highly recommended to consult with a paint professional on the type of paint that’s best suited for your deck.

Applying Paint

To prevent or avoid potential wood problems, a proper coating of paint or enamel should be applied to the wood surface. Make sure the surfaces are dry, clean and free of mildew before applying any paint. Use a brush, spray roller or a pad to apply the paint. It is important to note that coatings can affect the performance of pressure treated woods or any wood surface, as applying too much coating will lead to a buildup of material, which in turn forms a film that can eventually peel or crack. Over-application of coats on water-repellant material will result in a overly waxy or sticky surface that can be difficult to dry.

Whether it is a wooden home, article or deck, wood in any form needs to be taken care of. Wood must be properly treated, cleansed and neatly fastened to prevent it from deteriorating. Sealing a wood deck is an important part of its care and maintenance, so using good quality products for it is essential.

Various products can be used for sealing wooden decks. Some of these include the following:

a) Super Seal is a water-borne water repellent coating that provides excellent sealing and water-beading properties for wooden deck surfaces. Water absorption is also reduced, and the wood is allowed to naturally expand and contract without flaking or peeling. In addition, Super Seal offers superior breathing properties and is VOC compliant. This product is an alternative for solvent-based water repellent coatings that contain silicones and waxes.

b) To stop the wood from turning gray, wooden decks can be sealed with a clear epoxy sealer. This type of synthetic resin sealer has no oils that prevents the growth of algae and mildew.

c) Another method to stop wooden decks from graying is to use deck sealers with color pigments. This product is highly effective in absorbing ultraviolet light that causes wood fibers to turn gray due to the microscopic pigment particles present in the sealer and water repellent products.

d) Natural wood sealers are non-toxic, non-flammable and biodegradable products. These types of sealers have no hazardous ingredients.

e) There are types of wood sealants that can penetrate deep into the wood without causing excessive surface film buildup. These products contain a unique combination of chemicals that protect and enhance the natural beauty and integrity of both new and old wood.

f) Wood sealants can protect wood by repelling water, preventing freeze damage and stopping UV damage. These products also prevent wood rot as well as mold and mildew.

Wood sealants are indispensable products in the regular care and maintenance of wooden decks. These products not only protect the wooden deck surface, they also help to keep your decks clean, beautiful and last a long time.

A deck, a type of porch usually made of cedar or good quality wood, is designed to resemble a ship’s deck. The deck is the perfect place for an evening get together or a barbecue at home. Since decks are exposed to a lot of wear and tear, they require regular maintenance in the same way done for interiors of the house. To keep decks looking good and in perfect condition over a long period of time, wood deck surfaces must be cleaned and sealed.

Pressure Washing

If you are a novice at cleaning decks, a simple, tried and tested method of washing a deck would be using a mop and warm water. However, another good method of cleaning the wood deck surface is pressure washing, which you can either do by yourself or by hiring a professional deck cleaning company. It is important to remember that extra care must be taken while pressure washing, as extensive damage to the deck surface can be caused by excess pressure. Pressure Washing Dos And Don’ts

Avoid using chlorine bleach when you use pressure washing on wood decks, as it might cause the wood to erode. Using excess pressure will also cause the high-pressure streams to erode the soft, light wood between the dark wood of the deck. As a result, the wood becomes splintered, creating splinters that can be as sharp as razor blades, which might end up cutting your hand. In some cases when pressure washing is not done carefully, the wood gets blasted to an irreparable condition.

Pressure Washing Types

You can select different types of pressure washing, from hot pressure wash and cold pressure wash for cleaning your wood deck, or a chlorine bleach pressure wash and steam pressure wash. It is important to remember that the wood surface is not damaged in any way while pressure wash is being applied. If you are not sure which type of pressure wash is right for your deck, or if you cannot do the pressure wash on your own, it is recommended that you hire a professional deck cleaning company to do the job. Keep in mind that taking time to decide on the right type of pressure wash for your deck is vital for your wood deck’s life span.

A wood deck can be considered as a valuable extension of any home, and to ensure its durability and longevity, polyurethane coatings can be used. Polyurethane coatings not only provide a smooth finish to any surface, but also provide protection against corrosion, chemicals and abrasion. It is used in waterproofing and field repair as well as coating high build epoxy and inorganic zinc for synthetic sports surfaces and other industrial applications.

About Polyurethane Coatings

Polyurethane coatings have properties that make them ideal for wood decks, which include providing a high quality finish to any surface, excellent staining and chemical resistance, along with hardness and adhesion. In addition, polyurethane coatings protect against lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids and cutting oils. Polyurethane coatings can be easily textured and are available in different varieties of gloss.

100% Solids Polyurethane Coatings

Polyurethane coating usually has two components: isocyanate-rich solution and polyol-rich solution, which is also known as ASTM D16 Type V polyurethane coating. When these two components are combined, a rapid and exothermic chemical polymerization reaction occurs, which forms a polyurethane coating film.

While normally in a liquid state, the resins turn to a 100% solid film after application. “100% solids” means that the coating does not use any solvent to dissolve, carry or reduce the coating resins. Although the viscosity is reduced by using solvents, the coating’s viscosity depends on the design and selection of resin components, not by the addition of a solvent. This means that an expert chemist can develop a 100% solids polyurethane coating system having a very low viscosity without the use of any solvents.

Types of Polyurethane Coatings

Different types of polyurethane coatings are currently available in the market, which include floor coatings, polyurethane coatings, conformal polyurethane coatings and stainless steel polyurethane coatings. The coatings are also used for different purposes in the plastic and polymer industries as well as other industrial sectors. Storage and Handling

Hands and tools used to handle the coatings need to be thoroughly washed with warm water immediately after using. The container should always be closed if it is not being used, and must not be refrigerated or frozen. The coating should also not be applied on windows, cars or furniture. Polyurethane coatings should be used with enough ventilation, and contact with eyes and skin must be avoided.

If the coating somehow gets into the eyes, flush it with clean water for at least 15 minutes and contact your physician. If ingested, water can be taken afterwards, but vomiting should not be induced. Polyurethane coatings should be kept out of reach of children and pets. It is important to always read and follow the safety guidelines printed on the package label or the data sheets included with the product.

It is a known fact that wood left out in the open and exposed to sun and moisture will degrade quickly. In the same way, if you leave your deck untreated, expect the wood to eventually turn gray with age; the decking boards might also cup, warp and split. Taking a long time to resolve this problem will result in major repairs or even replacing entire sections of your deck. There are various methods to ensure the durability and safety of your wood deck, like deck sealing and stripping, which are both essential for wood deck treatment.

Wood Deck Sealing

Deck sealing involves a three-part procedure that includes removing old stains or coatings, cleaning the wood and sealing it for weather protection. If the deck has not been previously sealed, stripping will not be necessary, but keep in mind that brand new wood will require special pre-stain preparation. If the deck has been sealed before, use the water test to check if the seal is functioning by slightly raining water on the boards; if the water beads up, then the wood is still being protected by the seal, but if the water is absorbed by the wood, it is time for treatment. It is recommended to use the water test on different areas of the deck, with high-traffic spots being more prone to wear than the corner areas and rail spindles.

Wood Deck Stripping

Stripping is important for creating an even surface that the freshly-applied sealant can stick to. Even if some sealant remains in some areas while your deck’s high traffic areas have worn out, it is still recommended that the entire deck should be stripped before you re-stain. Stripping is also essential when changing colors, as traces of the old color will surely affect the way a new color appears.

Deck Treatment Materials

Wood deck treatment will require other tools and materials than the cleaner and sealer, like a stiff brush with extended handle for scrubbing. To also make the job easier, you will need a pump action sprayer for the cleaning solution. When you purchase a branded deck sprayer or garden sprayer, make sure that you do not use it on your garden once it has been used with deck cleaning chemicals.

Simply building a good quality deck to enhance the beauty of your home won’t be enough; to make it more durable and constantly beautiful, it also has to be maintained by restoring it. Since the deck is made of strong wood, there will be less structural problems from continuous use, but exposure to the elements without proper care will cause the deck surface to weather after a few years.

The Restoration Procedure

Regardless of the type of wood used for its construction, restoring a deck involves a simple procedure: cleaning as the first step, diagnosing and treating any discoloration as the second step and protecting the deck with a durable finish as the final step.

Cleaning will remove invisible barriers like wax or mill glaze from the wood surface, opening up clogged wood pores to allow trapped moisture to escape. This will minimize cracking and splitting of the wood before and after the coating is applied. A mild and gentle cleaning product should be used to avoid dissolving the wood structure or bleaching the surface. The existing wood coating is then removed with a wood stripper, and depending on the type of look and protection level you prefer, the surface is applied with a clear or tinted water repellent sealer, pigmented stain or wood preservative coating.

Water repellent coatings can minimize cracking, warping and other types of structural damage by preventing water and moisture absorption. Stain coatings that contain pigment give the wood a finished look by providing color and UV damage protection. Preservative coats are specially formulated to protect the wood surface from fungal attacks as well as contain insecticides to protect it from termites and other wood-destroying insects, whether on ground or water.

Care and Maintenance of Wood Decks

1. Cleaners like phosphoric acid, trisodium phosphate, bleach and pressure spraying can also be used by mixing certain percentages of them with other gently cleaning chemicals.

2. Water-repellent coating effectiveness will be reduced by calcium chloride salts.

3. Pressure-treated wood will often have pitch stains or crystallized sap found around their knots. These can be removed using turpentine or can be simply scraped off.

4. Avoid using a metal shovel when removing snow from a deck.

Wood decks make a beautiful addition to any home. To keep wood decks constantly in good condition, proper repair and maintenance should be done on a regular basis. Frequent wood deck repairs not only ensures their durability and strength, it can also prevent more difficult and costly repairs later on.

Simple Deck Repairs

Before starting, carefully inspect the wood deck; check if the railings are properly fastened, if the surface has algae growth or if any part of the deck needs to be replaced. Some simple repairs include the following:

1. Scrub the deck – Algae growth can be removed by thoroughly cleaning the deck surface, while a garden hose with power nozzle and an old knife can be used to remove dirt between the cracks. To restore the original wood color, use deck cleaners and restorers, which can be either sprayed or scrubbed and then simply washed off.

2. Secure the nails – Some nails might pop out above the wood surface due to expansion and contraction; these nails need to be hammered back below the surface.

3. Sand the wood – Rough surfaces, particularly splintered areas and handrails, need to be sanded with a power sander or belt sander.

4. Secure the boards – Fasten any loose ends of boards by drilling holes and using nails or screws.

5. Repair the stairs – Damaged stair boards should be replaced with new boards then properly secured with nuts and screws.

6. Secure the railing – Clearance holes should be drilled through the post and secured with stronger and longer bolts, as small nails and screws will not be sufficient.

Repair Tips

Repairing decayed wood is not that difficult as long as you carefully follow handy repair tips. For example, epoxy tends to dry fast and is hard to remove, so it should be cleaned up as it is being used. Some more tips can be found below:

* Deep holes should be built in layers around 1/2 inch thick and surfaces should be slightly overfilled.

* The proper tools for contoured surfaces and corners should be used for shaping the filler.

* For flat and contoured surfaces, use different types of rasps.

* If a lot of hard, dried material needs to be removed, rasping is recommended, since it is less time consuming than sanding.

* When driving nails into large, damaged areas, let the heads stick up a bit so they can be embedded in the filler but still remain below the surface.

Wooden decks should have a regular care and maintenance program in order to restore, beautify and preserve the deck for a long time. Since deck finishes can start to fade in as little as one year depending on the environment, deck maintenance is a good way of protecting your investment. This usually involves restoration of the deck’s horizontal surfaces around one year after application of the original finish. The wood is lightly cleaned then reapplied with a coat of finish; there is no need to do the same to vertical surfaces since they weather at a slower rate.

Maintenance Tips

1. Water is known to cause mildew growth on a coating’s surface, so puddles that have been sitting for more than two days on a deck or porch should be brushed off.

2. In some types of wood species like Southern and White Pine, a non-water soluble, organic wood extract known as pitch can cause pitch stains or crystallized sap to form around the knots of pressure-treated wood. This can either be scraped off or removed with turpentine, which will not harm the existing coating.

3. Snow found on a deck should not be removed with a metal shovel, as it can pierce the underlying coating which will cause it to erode.

4. A water-repellent coating’s effectiveness will be reduced by calcium chloride salts, so use only sodium chloride types of salt on a water-sealed or stained wood deck or porch.

Maintenance Methods

1. preparation of surface 2. use of cleaning products 3. sealing the deck surface 4. use of traditional decking materials

Professional Maintenance

Cleaning a wooden deck usually involves the removal of dirt, algae, moss and other organic matter, while resealing is done by applying a clear or semi-clear liquid sealant to exposed surfaces. In both these cases, the homeowner can do these jobs on their own, but it is often better to hire a professional firm that offers deck maintenance services. These specialists charge varying fees, so it is always a good idea to choose an experienced and well-known firm to ensure that you get excellent quality work done.

Cleaning a deck is a homeowner’s responsibility. Cleaning a dirty-looking deck is mostly for appearance purposes, and does not affect the performance of the deck’s composite materials. Deck cleaning should be regularly done because it does away with the fibers that prevent adhesion of any type of top coat. In order to avoid costly maintenance later on, it is always a good idea to keep a wood deck clean.

If there is debris clogging up the spaces between the deck boards, they will eventually trap moisture, which will in turn encourage mildew and rot. A garden hose with a powerful nozzle can be used to blast out the debris, and the remaining debris can just be pushed out with a putty knife or a handsaw. If you live in an area where mold and mildew frequently grow, then you need to clean it more often to safely remove spots and so they do not appear again.

To return the wood to its natural tone, use a stiff fiber brush on a long handle to thoroughly scrub the surface with a sudsy mixture of water and laundry detergent, working in small areas and rinsing periodically. Unprotected wood like cedar and redwood can be vulnerable to exposure from the suns ultraviolet rays and water from snow, rainfall and dew, in which the water can eventually cause the wood to rot.

Wood is generally composed of small, microscopic cells. When a small piece of wood is viewed through a microscope, it looks like a honeycomb. Particles larger than the cells can be blown or washed away, while smaller particles will fall into the cells and eventually accumulate over time. When these cells are filled, the color of the combined particles will degrade the wood color, resulting in an ugly, grungy gray shade. It is therefore important to properly finish the wood, and adequate preserving and storing will depend on the following:

1. A clean wood surface.

2. Wood is saturated with high sold finish.

Water, freezing and thawing, sunlight, mold and mildew will all cause the wood to rapidly deteriorate without the proper protection. The natural wood resins and color will be washed out as water is absorbed into the wood, and rain water will also cause the growth of algae, mold and mildew, which will in turn lead to rotting.

Homeowners generally exert a lot of effort to ensure that their homes remain absolutely clean, without even a speck of dust present, by using various cleaning methods and products. Keep in mind, though, that it is important to use the right kind of materials for the right kind of furniture, particularly wooden furniture, decks and flooring, which require specific cleansing agents to keep them spic and span.

Keeping Wooden Decks Clean

Anything made of wood will require precise care and maintenance, otherwise you run the risk of degrading the wood. A wooden deck is no exception, as constant exposure to heat, moisture and other elements will cause the wood, particularly uncoated wood, to deteriorate fast. Wooden decks should be regularly cleaned with the right type of products that will maintain its beauty without harming the wood.

Cleansing Agents for Wood Decks Some wood deck cleansing agents include the following:

1) Household cleaners and bleaches can be effective in cleaning wooden decks.

2) Trisodium phosphate and some other chemicals can also be used be used to clean wooden decks.

3) Hy-Tech house wash is a powdered concentrate formulated with oxygen bleach and other agents for deep penetration and long “wet time”. It is also easy to use; just simply mix it with water. It is completely environment friendly, and does not harm wood fibers, pets, grass and most plants.

4) Chlorine bleach is known to kill algae, moss and mildew. Keep in mind that extensive use of chlorine can be dangerous for the wood, surrounding greenery and the environment, so not more than one cup of chlorine bleach per gallon of water should be used.

5) Various acids like oxalic, citric, disodium peroxydicarbonate, and phosphoric can be used as wood-cleansers. Oxalic acid and wood bleach can lighten darkened gray weathered wood and also remove stains; a solution of oxalic acid crystals dissolved in water applied to the discolored area will remove stains after twenty minutes. Citric acid is effective, non-hazardous and is rapidly gaining popularity as a cleansing agent, while phosphoric is not recommended for use, as it can be dangerous and ecologically unsound.

6) Natural fungicides and insecticides can also be used, as they cleanse the wood and also protect it from fungus, insects and germs.

While there are other ways of cleansing wood aside from the ones mentioned, it is important to remember that care must be taken to use the right method of cleaning wooden decks that conform with the specifications and types of wood used for the decks.