Deck Restoration

What is deck restoration if not Cleaning and Sealing

Deck restoration involves taking a deck (whether paint that has worn down, stained and severely faded, or plain weathered wood that has turned grey), rejuvenating, refinishing, and refurbishing it into a beautiful, outdoor deck living space completely protected from the elements. A space that will remain looking good year after year (with proper maintenance). We aim at making deck maintenance, whether restoring, finishing, or refinishing, a simple line item you will check off your to-do list.

A side note: All our deck cleaning, stripping, and brightening detergents are sourced from professional deck restoration detergent suppliers. We never use products from big box stores. We use products that are tailor formulated by professional deck restoration suppliers for specific species of wood, the specific condition of the wood, and specific coatings on wood surfaces. These costly yet necessary products make our deck cleaning, stripping, and neutralizing results extraordinary instead of ordinary.

How is a deck ‘restored’?

 

A properly executed deck restoration relies on excellent communication with our clients, gathering details about previous products used, the deck’s age, sun exposure, deck orientation, species of wood, and adjacent and surrounding tree canopy. With the proper information gathered, we can draw up a plan of action that will provide reliable results. There isn’t a deck restoration formula one size fits all approach. we enact our plan of action relying on many years of on-the-field wood deck restoration experience, sometimes making judgment calls as we encounter them. Restoring a wood deck combines great communication from beginning to end, immaculate wood preparation, and artisan-like application of the deck protectant, whether paint or stain. Our goal is to refurbish your deck, beautify it and make it great to look at and livable, comfortable, safe, and well-protected from the elements.

Our Deck Cleaning Process

Depending on our customer’s deck condition (sun damage, type of existing deck coating or lack of), we proceed to use a specific deck cleaner, stripper, or brightener that will be effective at softening up dirt, grime, sun damage, and old coatings from all deck surfaces. Once our detergent bath has spent a specific amount of time on the wood surface, we gently pressure wash all the grime, mold, mildew, and old stains and sealers without much effort. We never use high pressure on wood decks – we allow the detergents to do the heavy lifting. Low pressure will not raise the wood grain, it won’t mark up and leave pressure washing lap marks on the wood, and it won’t drive water into places it shouldn’t be driven into, such as under doors or electrical outlets. Using low pressure and allowing the deck cleaning and restoration detergents to do the work is vital in providing professional deck cleaning results.

We follow up every deck cleaning with thorough neutralizing and brightening. This is a crucial step that cannot be missed. Again, this is where we separate ourselves from the competition.

Neutralizing and brightening wood decks achieve three important things

• It will rejuvenate the appearance of wood surfaces – especially wood that has darkened from using caustic strippers and alkaline wood cleaners.
• It will neutralize the effects of caustic and alkaline cleaning agents and balance the PH level of all wood surfaces.
• A wood brightener/neutralizer opens the wood’s pores, thereby aiding stain and sealer absorption, allowing the wood to soak up the stain and take the stain color more evenly.

Again, using a wood brightener is a crucial step that cannot be missed. Wood brightening will also accentuate the wood grain- without it, and wood will look murky and not as lively and vibrant.

Using proper wood preparation practices, superior wood cleaning detergents, our professional wood care equipment, superior stains, sealers, paints, and decades of expertise – restoring a deck, cleaning, staining, and sealing is a breeze!

Our Deck Staining And Sealing Process

After cleaning, brightening of deck surfaces, and thorough drying (after several days), we can proceed with the deck stain and seal process. We strongly recommend a quality oil-based stain and sealer such as Expert Stain and Seal. Still, if you have a high-quality deck stain that you’d prefer, we will gladly finish your deck with any quality deck stain and seal product.

When applying a stain & seal, it is vital to ensure even application. Uneven application leads to a blotchy appearance, uneven waterproofing, and a short deck seal life span. This step is crucial in protecting a deck, especially flat walking areas. Once stain and seal have been evenly applied to all deck surfaces, we inspect the entire deck to ensure no puddles or excessive stains. We wipe everything down, working with stain pads, brushes, and rags, ensuring the stain is applied as evenly as possible. Once we’ve wiped the entire deck down with stain pads, the job is complete. You must wait for at least 2 to 3 days to return furniture, etc.

Deck Cleaning And Painting

When applying a solid stain to a deck surface (we will refer to it as painting), all preparation steps are vital for a long-lasting finish. We start by pressure cleaning all deck surfaces and gently removing all mildew, mold, pollen, algae, and moss from every inch of the deck’s surface. Like our deck staining and sealing process, we brighten all raw wood with our wood brighteners. Wood brighteners will open wood pores and allow the first coat of a solid deck stain to penetrate and bond to new wood surfaces.

Once dry and if the deck was painted before, we sand all flat surfaces, including handrails, and stair steps (if any), ensuring to etch all flat areas to ensure extreme bond by new paint. We then lightly rinse off all sanded areas to ensure all sand dust is removed. We can also use rags with quick-drying solvents for same-day painting. If the deck has never been stained, this step is unnecessary and can skip to the next step.

Once the deck has been prepped and fully dried, we can start with the deck painting process. We apply two coats of deck paint with 4 hours interval between coats or according to manufacturer specifications.

When painting decks, selecting correct, quality deck paint makes all the difference in a long-lasting finish. Using deck paint on decks with under-deck systems is not recommended. The same goes for decks that are very low to the ground. Painting a deck is an irreversible process which one should consider carefully before diving in and painting. We endorse and recommend solid-body deck stains from Cabot, Benjamin-Moore, and especially from Expert Stain and Seal. It is an excellent product which we recommend for all wood restoration services.

When deck cleaning and painting best practices are observed, a deck painting project will yield spectacular results every time. Using our deck painting best practices method will make your deck look great and will seal and protect your deck for many years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

My deck is new – do I still have to pressure wash it?

Yes, even newer decks need to be cleaned. This step removes fungus, mildew, and moss spores. It will remove surface dirt as well. Cleaning also serves another purpose – our deck brightener will open the wood’s pores, aiding in stain absorption and yielding a longer stain life. So, yes, it is a vital step in a professional deck staining job.

Do you set loose nails in?

Yes, we set in loose nails and replace them with screws if necessary.

Do you have color samples you can show us?

Yes, we have a wide range of deck color samples and miscellaneous color selection and consultation services we provide free of charge to our customers.

Do you brush or spray?

Depending on the detail work – we spray when dealing with latticework, and We use a brush and stain pads on larger areas – e.g. floors, etc.