Having a deck in Fort Collins is nice, isn’t it? If you have a West-facing deck, you might be lucky enough to have a view of Horsetooth Rock. If it faces East, you likely have a front-row seat for all of the lightning storms over the plains. Heck, even if your deck doesn’t provide you with a view of anything but your neighbor’s yard and siding, it’s still the place to be with friends and family for almost three quarters of the year.
Your deck is out there in the sun, the rain, the snow, and the wind, helping to make great memories for you and your family. It takes great care of you. But what are you doing to take great care of your deck?
In today’s blog from the Fort Collins deck builders at JJ Fencing & Deck, we will give you a fast, but effective rundown on everything you need to do to make sure that your deck can continue delivering on its promise to be there for you, no matter what.
That being said, if you would prefer to have the expert deck staining crew from JJ Fencing and deck do the work for you, we’d be more than happy to. Schedule a free estimate today by filling out our online form, or call us directly.
Sweeping and Spraying
Keep your deck clean. Northern Colorado is known for its wind, even if less so than our neighboring cities on the plains like Greeley or Sterling. That means dirt, dust, leaves, and branches will find their way onto it throughout the year.
Allowing this debris to accumulate and sit on your deck can actually cause micro-abrasions to your stain, or discolorations at the very least. While we don’t necessarily think you need to grab the brook, blower, or hose after every little gust, we advise weekly cleaning and a quick once over any time that the deck is going to be in use.
Stripping and Cleaning
When it comes time to restain your deck, you’ll first want to strip, then clean the wood. Depending on the type of stain that you originally used and how protected your deck is by awnings, pergolas, and coverings, you’ll need to stain your deck as often as every year, or as little as every five years.
As a general rule, a transparent stain that highlights the beauty of the wood will wear through more quickly and need more frequent replacing. A solid stain can last for up to five years but hides the wood underneath.
After you have stripped the wood, give it a thorough cleaning with a wood cleaner.
Staining and Sealing
Before resealing and/or restaining your Fort Collins deck, make sure to give it a smooth sand. This time-consuming step is easy to want to avoid, but it makes all the difference in maintaining the beauty and preventing or eliminating splinters.
After sanding, liberally apply a coat of stain, or a double coat if the first comes out uneven. Always make sure to check the weather ahead of time so your stain has time to dry thoroughly.
Let JJ Fencing & Deck in Fort Collins Do The Job
If you’d like a professional to care for your home’s deck, get in touch with the team at JJ Fencing & Deck today by calling or filling out our online form. We can’t wait to help out.
