- To see just how well the deck was responding, they stopped mid-way and made a comparison.
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- After the cleaning was complete and the surface dried, the results were clear. The deck that was once presumed ready for the kindling pile, was well on its way to a comeback.
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- The next step was to re-fill the garden sprayer, this time with a deck sealer that would help restore the wood's color and protect it from further weather damage.
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5. Sealer:
- They held the sprayer wand about a foot away from the deck and then moved it back and forth in an even motion.
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- Keeping the sprayer head a consistent distance from the surface insured a uniform coating. This sealer went on milky, but then dried clear.
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- The main purpose of applying sealer is to slow down the rate at which the wood absorbs water. This greatly reduces the expansion and contraction that caused most of the cracking and nail popping that occurred with this deck.
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- Given the condition of the Allen's deck, Ron estimated that the sealer would protect the condition of the restored deck for one to two years before it should be applied again. It was a simple and quick process, taking only about twenty minutes to seal the whole deck.
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6. Drying time:
- The deck sealer needed to dry for several hours before it could withstand any foot traffic and overnight before they could replace the furniture.
- By the time they had completed all of the steps of the restoration process, the deck looked similar to one that had just been put down for the first time. It certainly looked better than the Allens had ever seen it look.
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RESULTS:
Ron gets a lot of satisfaction from helping people restore things. Oftentimes they find renewed beauty just beneath the surface. The Allens were pleased with the new beauty they "uncovered" right in their own backyard. Now Adretta has even bigger projects in mind to make good use of her husband's new skills.
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Before After
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