Get Your Deck Ready For Summer

When the weather starts to get warm and sunny, there's nothing quite like a nice deck to gather your friends and family on. A well-maintained deck is a great addition to a house, especially when you have a gorgeous yard to view it from. If you haven't spent a lot of time on it during the winter, however, you may need to give it a sprucing up before it's company ready. Here's how to get your deck ready for the summertime.

Inspect The Deck

If your deck hasn't gotten serious attention in the past few months, now's the time to check it out for repairs.

• Replace any raised or exposed nails in the wood.
• Make sure your railings are sturdy! Wiggle them a little to see if they give, and tighten their connections as needed.
• Check any of the outside lighting fixtures, and make sure that they're working and in good, safe condition.
• Sometimes a board will become rotted, splintered, or damaged. If you see any of these, carefully pull up the old boards with a claw hammer and install replacement boards.

Time For A Spring Cleaning

Now that you've checked your deck for weaknesses and made repairs as needed, it's time to get in there and clean it out! A clean deck is a beautiful deck, and doing so will help protect it against the elements.

First, clear the deck of all furniture, grills, or any other items. This is also a good time to trim back any plant life to at least a foot from your deck. This will lessen the amount of plant debris that ends up on your deck and will discourage moss, fungi, or rot from setting it.

Once your deck is clear of everything else, sweep it clean! If there's extra debris stuck between the cracks, carefully dig it out with a putty knife. You want to prep this surface for the next part.

Now, we have an open surface to do a real deep clean. There are two main ways people go about this. The first option is to take a brush and scrub the deck down manually using a high-quality deck cleaner, rinsing it down with a hose afterward. While this is a relatively safe method, it's also very hard work. The other option is, of course, pressure washing the deck. While this is easier, it's very important to not use extremely high pressures on the deck, especially with natural wood decks, as it could warp, dent, or splinter the boards. Use a fan tip to spread the spray out a little more- this is the best practice when using a cleaning solution anyway- and make sure to keep it on a low-pressure setting. If you're anxious about doing your own pressure washing, we offer deck washing services, leaving you with one less step to worry about.

Also, it's good practice to reseal your deck once every two years. If you plan on applying your own deck sealant, make sure you sand the deck down first to remove any grain the washing may have raised, then coat the deck thoroughly. Make sure to do it when rain isn't in the forecast! Ideally, you want at least two days free of rain and with moderate temperatures (between 50-90 °F). This gives the sealant the best chance to dry out slowly and evenly.

Make It Your Own

Now that you've ensured your deck is in top condition, give it a makeover that makes it stand out for the new season! Clean or replace the furniture, and if feasible, move it around from the spot it was last in. Rearranging your deck furniture frequently helps prevent discoloration on the flooring.

Once you feel that the furniture is arranged in a pleasant, inviting way, customize it! Find extra ways you can customize the look of your deck. Some ideas we like:

• Accent lighting, such as string lighting, is a way to instantly make your deck feel more comfortable and inviting in the evening.
• Potted plants or miniature gardens add nice pops of color and a natural feel- although if you go this route, make sure that whatever pot, urn, or planter you use doesn't drain directly out onto the deck.
• Citronella candles on the tables are a nice way of adding cozy lighting while warding off insects.
• If you haven't done so already, why not add a grill to barbecue on, or perhaps install a fire pit for your friends to gather around. Just make sure that you research before you buy to make sure that whatever installation you go with is safe for your deck's surface.

Need help getting your deck ready for the warmer months? Call Ej's Powerwash & Detail- we're here to help! Go into the summer with your deck looking at its best with our deck washing service.

Call 864-684-4981 today to get your deck in shape for the summer with Ej's Powerwash & Detail!