Deck Maintenance

How to Properly Maintain a Deck

By Mark J. Donovan

Regular deck maintenance is a necessity, face it or not. So the main question to ask yourself is do you prefer to perform minor deck maintenance work regularly, or wait and deal with more significant and expensive deck maintenance problems down the road. I prefer the former, as I like to save money and I like my decks looking like new as much as possible.

Maintaining a deck regularly involves cleaning the deck every couple of months with a deck cleaning solution and a garden hose, and at least once a year pulling out the broom and/or brush and really scrubbing the deck surface.

In addition, proper deck maintenance means inspecting the deck periodically for damaged boards, popped nails and peeling deck sealers and paints. As soon as you discover these types of deck maintenance issues, they should be addressed. Old damaged decking boards should be replaced, popped nails replaced with slightly larger nails, and peeling decks stripped and resurfaced.

By keeping up with these basic deck maintenance activities you should be able to keep your deck looking like new and extend the life of your deck dramatically.