Get matched with top deck cleaning pros in Fort Kent, ME

A wood deck needs an annual cleaning, plus refinishing every two to three years, which involves sanding the deck and applying stain or sealer. If you have a painted deck, you’ll need to repaint it every 10 years. You should also fix and repair loose or broken deck boards, nails, and screws. Cleaning your deck regularly and applying sealant protects the wood from the elements, water damage, rot, mildew, and fading from the sun.

Like the choice of stain vs. paint, your deck color is entirely up to you. By consulting color theory, you can make choosing a house and deck color combination much easier. Many people choose a darker color for their deck because it doesn’t show dirty footprints or other marks from daily wear and tear as much as a crisp white or other light color.

Painting a damaged pool deck is not recommended if the substrate is crumbling, cracking, spalling, or otherwise actively deteriorating. Continuing deterioration will result in the paint also delaminating or flaking off the damaged surface. Minor damage such as chips or hairline cracks that are not actively deteriorating can often be repaired enough to paint over. A damaged pool deck with a lot of cracking and deterioration should be replaced for best results.

You should always wash your deck before staining to remove debris, built-up grime, mold, mildew, and old, flakey finish. Failing to remove these impurities will cause the stain to look patchy, as it cannot evenly saturate the wood grain. Stain may also have drastically reduced lifespan when applied to a dirty surface. Always wait at least 48 hours after cleaning the wood to apply stain to ensure the surface is fully dry.