Wood Deck Maintenance
Get The Most From Your Investment

A comprehensive wood deck maintenance schedule can easily extend the life of all finishes, thus paying for itself in the long term.

The life span of all finishes depends on many factors, including wear from general use and the weather.

A general rule is apply a maintenance coat every 18-24 months with a full stripping of the finish needed every 4-6 years.

The quick maintenance coat is needed to reinforce the finish on high wear areas and even out the color after weathering has set in. The areas that will require the most wood deck maintenance are the floor, stairs and tops of handrails.

The type of stain also effects the schedule. Finishes with little or no color will not last very long, typically less than a year. Wood deck care starts with common sense and some general rules.

Wood deck maintenance begins right after the finish has been applied. Here are some rules and ideas that can extend the life of every deck finish.

• First allow the stain, or other type of finish, to dry completely before moving furniture and other objects onto the deck. Many deck stains will need a week or more to fully cure. It's best to limit all activity during the curing phase.
• Carefully move objects across the floor. Deep scratches or gouges will allow water to penetrate into the wood and under the stain. This will cause premature failure of the stain.
• Keep the deck clean. Sweep up dust and dirt, plus periodically rinse off the deck with a garden hose. Don't use strong soaps or solvents, as these will damage the finish.

Long-term Wood Deck Maintenance Schedule

Deck stains claim to last for 2, 3 or even four years, but this rarely happens in the real world. Rain, snow and the sun begin to take their toll from the very beginning. Don't wait until the deck is severely weathered and requires a lot of sanding.

Plan on cleaning then applying a coat of finish every 1-2 years. The frequency of refinishing depends on the quality of stain and the amount of pigment it contains. The more pigment and depth of color the longer the stain will last.

Clean the deck with a mild solution of wood deck cleaner and brightener. Pre-wet the wood surface then apply with a long handled brush. Allow the solution to remain on the surface for 5-10 minutes then rinse off with a power washer set to 1500 psi or less. No need for a backbreaking washing. Just remove the dirt and any mold or algae that has colonized the wood.

If the finish is in good shape you can wait another year before needing to restain. Areas were the finish has worn off will need to be restained. Typically the floor and stairs will show the most wear. A light sanding before restaining will help blend worn areas into adjacent sound areas. Always stain an entire large area in order to have an even look. An example is to restain an entire floor even though half is worn.

The best wood deck maintenance schedule is doing a thorough cleaning to the deck once a year and apply a coat of stain every 2 years.

A good sanding is needed every 4-6 years depending on type of stain used and overall condition of the deck surfaces.