Sunday, May 20, 2007

STEPS TO RESTORE EXISTING DECKS

  • Remove soil and debris located within 6" of wood members and regrade the
    soil to prevent future soil/wood contact.
  • Inspect the entire deck for any lumber damage from wood rot, insects or
    weather.
  • Any damaged lumber should be replaced. If possible, pressure-treated
    lumber should be used (it may not always match the look of the rest of the
    deck).
  • Next, a pressure washer should be used to get rid of the moss and debris
    caught between the deck boards. A pressure washer can damage wood if used
    improperly; special care must be taken with soft wood, like cedar.
  • During the wood preservative application process, soil and vegetation
    around the deck should be covered with plastic to prevent the wood
    preservative from destroying the vegetation.
  • The wood preservative can be applied with a brush or roller after
    careful review of the instructions that accompany the particular product.

In addition to treating or sealing decks, it may be necessary to remove
moss and mold from deck surfaces. Full-strength liquid bleach will do that
job quite well, as will some of the specialty products advertised for that
purpose (most contain bleach). A more environmentally-sound solution is
the use of the less toxic products designed for moss removal. Most lumber
yards and garden stores stock a selection of moss removers.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This was very helpful thank you. I'm going to do this to our deck this summer. It is a deck that wraps around our house and its going to take a long time to do. I think I might have to get my wife a nanny to help out with the family. Thanks again for the blog.