The Truth About Wooden Decks
Of all the surfaces decks require the greatest maintenance, but they can have the greatest beauty and and offer the most satisfaction to the home owner. Being a flat surface decks are blanketed with snow and ice in the winter and in the remaining months water sits on top as they often bake in the sun and suffer the wear of furniture and human traffic grinding grit into the surface. Condensation also gathers on decks, making them prone to mildew, and the constant wet/dry cycle shortens the life of the application.
On a new deck many product options are available to the homeowner. Transparent stains provide a unique beauty to a new mahogany or cedar; one benefit of these products is they have no film. But such decks typically require yearly cleaning and coating to maintain their original luster. You may also choose a semi transparent stain that has the slightest pigmentation and designed to show natural grain and beauty of the wood. If you are looking for a color you may opt for a solid stain which is available in the full color spectrum. Deck products are available in latex and oil as well as hybrids that contain the technology of both and in the recent years acrylics had become a hardier product, holding their color and resisting mildew. In addition to the conventional stains there are preservatives, usually they contain a wood colored stains in various hues of amber, red, and brown. Coatings with a film also come in natural hues and these products demand almost yearly maintenance to maintain their integrity and beauty. Sometimes cedar and mahogany decks are allowed to weather and over time the wood develops a light gray patina; such decks without applications tend to warp or cup, holding more water instead of shedding it as a properly maintained deck tends to do, thus accelerating their deterioration.
A properly installed deck is spaced to allow water to drain between the planking and wider planking tends to hold more water and warp more easily. Decks built too close to the ground absorb moisture and compromise coatings. Some deck products require all sides of the planking to be coated, but for most products a top side application is sufficient. Some deck products contain wax that causes water to bead up, but many of the finer products donʼt. Decks on the ocean or in moist conditions fare better with acrylic produces, since the oil products more easily provide a host for blackening mold and mildew. Many contractors these days are moving away from the oils, since the latest technology is moving toward the water based products which are becoming tougher and longer lasting.
Each deck product has itʼs own quirks and it is recommended that even the most experienced craftsman reads the manufactureʼs specifications before application. Painters and building contractors should apprise homeowners of the varies options, making certain that the choices are well informed and the home owner is prepared for the future maintenance. Neglected decks can be an eyesore and at a certain point may not be restored to their former beauty or require costly repairs and even replacement. But a well maintained deck can last for years, allowing the homeowner to enjoyment of itʼs natural beauty as an outdoor living space and an extension of their home.
At McManus Painting we have decades of expertise and have a maintenance program for many of our clients. If youʼd like an evaluation and a quote on your deck, click below or call now and get on our spring schedule.
