How to Keep Your Deck Looking New and Beautiful

A beautiful deck can add value to your home. What do you need to do in order to keep it strong and looking good? And what do you do if your deck is still in good shape structurally, yet has weathered to a dirty gray? Is there any way to give it back its natural color? And what about getting rid of stains such as mold, mildew, or water spots? Are these just a few of the questions you have on keeping a deck looking beautiful? Then keep reading for the answers to your questions.

The answer to the question of giving your deck back its natural color is yes, you can give it back its natural, beautiful color, at least most of it. Decks can be exposed to some pretty harsh weather. However, sunlight is the culprit that causes your deck to turn gray. The "glue" that holds wood cells together is broken down by the strong rays of the sun. When this happens, dirt starts changing the wood's color to a grayish color. By simply cleaning your deck with a deck cleaner, it will get its natural color back, or most of it, anyway. But before you do that, you need to do a deck inspection to look for any problems.

Stains such as mold and mildew need to be cleaned with a mixture of bleach and water. You may have to scrub them with a brush to remove them completely. After you cleaned the stains, rinse the wood completely. Another thing to remember is to only use the bleach mixture on mold and mildew stains. Do not clean your entire deck with the bleach. Bleach can cause damage to the wood. Use some other type of cleaner, if necessary to remove especially tough grime.

If you have water spots left behind by kids running from the pool to the house, use the same deck cleaner that helps restore the natural color. Clean the entire deck to give it a uniform look.

If you have a few nails or screws backing out of the wood, it is a good idea to reset them. You should carefully check the entire deck for any nails that have raised or come out of the wood. Replace or drive in any that you find to keep anyone from catching a bare foot on one. Check for any boards that may have split or raised. These could be potential splinter hazards. If any are really bad, you will need to replace them.

If the deck has a railing, and most do, check for loose spindles. Tighten any that need it.

Work your way down the steps, checking for any that move as you step on them. If necessary, replace the boards or renail or screw them to get them back solid. Steps need to be secure. Check the hand rail for sturdiness. It should not more as you grip it.

Once on the ground, walk around the deck and check the outside boards and posts. If you find any nails that have pulled out, remove them and replace them with slightly longer screws. This will help pull the wood back together.

After you have completed any repairs needed and cleaned all stains and spots, it is time to use the deck cleaner. There are several good brands available that will do the job well. Clean the entire deck and allow it to dry completely.

The last step in keeping that deck beautiful is to give it a coat of clear wood finish. Again, there are several well known brands available. The finish is literally the "finishing touch" that brings your grayed or stained deck back to the beautiful work of art it really is.