In order to preserve your old wood deck so that it will last longer and look nice, you should treat the deck by using a water sealer. This method should be applied every two or three years so that your wood will be protected from rotting. Maintaining and treating your wood deck needs to be done regularly because over time the deck’s appearance will deteriorate due to receiving direct sunlight and other weather elements. You must always make sure to check for any loose boards, protruding nails, cleaning and removing of all dirt, algae, moss or other organic matter before you start to apply a clear or semi-clear liquid sealant to all of the wooden deck surfaces. Through this article, you would be able to learn how to treat your old wood deck to make it last longer and more durable.
To treat an old wood deck, you need:
- Garden hose
- Garden sprayer
- Respirator (mask)
- Goggles
- Belt sander
- Sandpaper
- Broom
- Deck cleaner
- Deck sealer
- Stain solution
- Wood brightener
- Paint roller
- Roller tray
- Paint brush
- Pressure washer or pump fertilizer spray
- Water sealer
- Long-handled Scrub brush
- Trisodium phosphate
Treating an Old Wood Deck
How to Treat an Old Wood Deck
- First thing to do is to clean your old wood deck
- You can use pressure washer, but always use low pressure so that the wood will not be damaged
- Besides that, you can also use oxygen-based bleach and spray it on the deck to oxidize all the dirt and mildew
- If there are trees, shrubs or bushes within close distance to the wood deck, you need to trim them
- Nail any of the loose boards on the deck or replace them if the damage is too bad
- Remove all of your outdoor furniture, grills, tables or chairs away from the deck
- You can use pressure washer, but always use low pressure so that the wood will not be damaged
Make sure to check your local weather forecast to know whether there is rain or not for the whole week because when you do treatment on your wood deck, you must do it when there is no rain. For cleaning and sealing the wood deck, at least three days are needed in order to finish the task properly.
- Then, you need to do the sanding process using sand paper.
- The entire surface and also the sides of your wooden deck needs to be sand using pole sander in order to remove rough edges. The result of the sanding process will create a much smoother wood, nice look and free of splinters.
- After that, sweep all the sawdust or debris off the wooden deck using a broom.
- Next, you have to rinse the deck using your garden hose and make sure that the deck is thoroughly damp.
- The entire surface and also the sides of your wooden deck needs to be sand using pole sander in order to remove rough edges. The result of the sanding process will create a much smoother wood, nice look and free of splinters.
- Use a trisodium phosphate to neutralize any acids element found in the wood and it also helps make the sealer to bond more securely to the wood. Take your trisodium phosphate and
- Sprinkle it on the surface of your wood deck
- Scrub it with the long-handled scrub brush on all of the deck’s surface
- Once finished, you can spray the wood deck and rinse off the trisodium phosphate along with any loosened dirt with your garden hose
- Sprinkle it on the surface of your wood deck
- After that, you need to take a garden sprayer so that you can apply the outdoor water sealer
- You must ensure that the entire surface of the wood deck is sprayed evenly. Apart from the surface, do not forget to spray the deck’s cover posts and pickets, plus also the deck’s floor.
- Once finished applying the water sealer, you have to leave it to dry completely and must follow the amount of time as per instructed by its manufacturer.
- Next, rinse the wooden deck using your garden hose.
- You must ensure that the entire surface of the wood deck is sprayed evenly. Apart from the surface, do not forget to spray the deck’s cover posts and pickets, plus also the deck’s floor.
- Another treatment method to use is to apply wood brightener using a pump sprayer
- Once finished, leave the deck to dry for 15 minutes before you can spray the deck with the garden hose.
- Once finished, leave the deck to dry for 15 minutes before you can spray the deck with the garden hose.
- After doing both of the above steps, allow them to dry thoroughly for 2 days
- Then, cover any of your house sections that touch the wood deck with painter’s tape.
- Pour your stain containers into a bucket, mix the stain together using your stir stick until the mixture managed to form bubbles.
- Pour some stain onto a roller tray and apply the stain with two or three thin coats on the deck using paint roller
- As for areas where it is hard to use a paint roller like the railings or steps, try to use paint brush.
- Once finished, allow the stain to dry thoroughly for 24 hours.
Always remember that when you start to treat your old wood deck
- During the cleaning task, do not use common chlorine-based bleach and if your old wood deck is made of cedar or redwood, it is recommended that you use oxalic acid
- Protect yourself with goggles and a respirator mask when you are doing the sanding task or repairing damaged boards.
- Then, cover any of your house sections that touch the wood deck with painter’s tape.
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