The sun is shining and the birds are chirping outside my kitchen window. It’s a reminder that summer is upon us and that we need to enjoy every moment before the winter takes over.
I’m also looking at my outdoor deck in between grilling our backyard barbecues. Questions start to arise. Stain usually is effective for one to four years, depending on the product. When was it last stained? I haven't done it since I bought the house and something tells me it wasn’t recently. So should I “risk it” another year?
How do I know if my deck needs to be stained or sealed? Sometimes it’s obvious, and we can see the stain wearing away. If our deck was stained with a transparent or semi-transparent stain, it can be more difficult to tell. One east test to see if your deck needs to be restained is to splash a little water along the boards. If the water beads up and stays on the deck, then the stain is still doing its job. If the water soaks in, it’s time to clean the deck from old finish and re-stain.
How to clean my deck? Could the job be done with power washing? Experts say that a power washing ultimately injects water into the pores of the wood for months. A scrubbing is best, along with stain stripper and Sherwin Williams Refresh before ultimately applying a new coat of protective stain.
As you are enjoying the summer on your back deck, you may have similar questions. Let us help protect your deck the right way. Our hassle-free cleaning and staining means you can devote more time to those barbecues before Labor Day hits!
