If you are the proud owner of a hardwood deck, you know the joy of having that special space where you can have some refreshment, put some meat on the BBQ, and just enjoy the simple pleasure of relaxation. However, your deck will not take care of itself. It may seem impervious to change, but if you don’t make the effort, your deck can fall victim to rot, fungus, or insect infestation. Fortunately, taking care of your deck need not be a lot of work. Here are some tips for keeping your deck looking fresh and new year after year.
- Keep Your Deck Clean: The most important part of deck maintenance is keeping the deck clean. Anywhere leaf litter or rubbish sits around provides a place for moisture to build up and begin to degrade the wood. Deck furniture is also a problem and it needs to be moved around so that moist areas can dry. Flower pots are a big problem and really shouldn’t be kept on a hardwood deck, even if they have a tray underneath them. If you must have pots on your deck, make sure to move them around occasionally as well.
- Make Repairs: As your deck gets older some of the wood is going to deteriorate faster than the rest. Rotting boards should be removed as soon as they are noticed. If not, they will spread rot to other boards. Also, even if your boards are damaged in some other way, it is a good idea to replace them. You can find replacement timber decking in Brisbane, through an internet search.
- Avoid Pressure Washing: Pressure washing will bring back some of the original colour of the wood and you might feel that you are doing a good job, but you really should avoid pressure washing unless the deck is seriously dirty and has been neglected for a long time. It is much better to simply wash the deck with a garden hose sprayer from time to time. Make sure you get all the dirt out from the gaps between the boards.
There really isn’t much more to it, aside from keeping vegetation back from touching the deck. The more you keep your deck dry and clean, the longer it will last. Protection from the sun is also a good idea, it must be done by providing shade, and not with a tarp. Although it is not always practical or necessary to provide shade. Use your deck as much as possible and it should provide decades of service to you.
