How to Restore and Maintain a Deck

Ron's friend Anthony had a deck that had suffered from the weather and become a bit of an eyesore. They decided to work together to see if there was any chance that they could bring back some of that natural beauty lurking beneath the dingy surface.

The deck was only about five years old, but Anthony had not done much to take care of it beyond sealer he put on it during the first year.

Algae was also growing on the deck, and they wanted to remove it, and there were nails that were popping up that they would need to reset.

They used a punch-like tool called a drip pin to reset the deck nails. The large blunt end was used to drive the nails below the wood surface without damaging the rust proof coating on their heads.

Ron explained that over the past four years, as the sealer that was applied begins to break down, the sunlight and ultra violet rays attack the surface of the wood and it begins to discolor.

In addition to the sun's damage, a certain amount of dirt from the air collects on the deck's surface. So, the first step in any deck restoration project is to give the deck a good cleaning with a deck wash.

The fastest and easiest way to get the cleaner on a deck is with a pump sprayer. Only apply as much cleaner as you can work into the wood in about 10 or 15 minutes.

A light brushing following the deck wash helps loosen the dirt and you can usually begin to see the wood grain underneath. It's remarkable how much cleaning alone can improve the appearance of outdoor wood.

The best way to rinse off the deck is by using a power washer. A garden hose brings in household water at a pressure of around 60 to 80 pounds per square inch, but the pump can boost the pressure to over a thousand pounds.

The water is pushed out through a hose and into an applicator wand.

The high pressure water does such an impressive job of rinsing and cleaning that you need to be careful not to get the nozzle too close to the surface where it can etch away the wood. For this same reason, it is also important to keep the wand moving and avoid leaving it aimed at one spot.

As the natural color of the wood here begins to come back, there may still be some dark areas.

In order to get this looking more like it did when it was originally installed, the final cleaning step is to add a wood brightener, again using a pump sprayer.

First, wet the deck to slow down evaporation and keep the surface from drying out too quickly and then spray on the brightener, wait a few minutes, and then agitate the solution using a long handled brush.

Work the brightener into a fairly small area about ten boards wide and finally use the power washer to rinse the surface thoroughly.

After waiting a few days, the final step is to apply a water-proofer. This product will seal the deck against water penetration, add color without obscuring the grain, protect the wood from the sun's ultraviolet rays, and impede the growth of mildew.

Apply the water proofer to the railing with a brush. A 3-inch brush works well on the wider parts of the railing, but you might need to switch to something narrower for the balusters. Starting applying the proofer at the top, that way if there are any drips, you will be able to catch them as you work your way down.

For the deck surface itself, Ron recommends using a painting pad, which has a slightly rough surface that helps work the material into the pores or surface of the wood.

Apply the sealer with even strokes along the length of the boards, moving with the grain. One thin coat is enough and make sure not to leave any puddles or pools. Applying the sealer to the sides of the deck boards is best done with a thin brush.

It's amazing what the cleaning, brightening and then the sealing and staining will do to the look of a deck.

But even after you have followed all of these steps, Ron recommends a little cleaning periodically with soap, water and a scrub brush to keep the deck clean and prolong its life. Following these steps should help make the finish last for up to two years or more before the sealing and staining needs to be repeated.

If you catch it just as the finish is starting to wear out, you will only need to reapply the stain and you won't have to go through the brightening.