The first taste of warm weather is upon us! That means it’s time to start planning for the glory days of spring and summer. It’s important that your Montgomery County backyard living space is ready to go for those long days and nights entertaining family and friends.
If you happen to be the owner of a custom-made Montgomery County deck, early spring is the best time to catch up on maintenance. This ensures your deck will be prepared for heavy use during the summer. Plus, washing your deck in relatively cool weather is easier on the wood, whereas doing so in the summer heat puts a lot of stress on the wood.
Here is a simple process for preparing your deck for another season of heavy use:
- Use an oxygenated-bleach cleaner – Oxygenated-bleach cleaners work best, since they are much healthier for the wood in comparison to chlorine bleach. Even when diluted with water, chlorine bleach cleaners can wreak havoc on your wood.
- Use a soft scrub brush – Power washing on your own is an easy way to damage a beautiful wood deck. Instead, use a soft scrub brush (or hire power washing professionals). Test your cleaner in a small area first. It should take 10-15 minutes to kill mildew and remove the dirt. If it takes any longer, your mix is too weak. Any shorter, and it’s too strong.
- Sand the wood after drying – After the deck has dried, it’s time to sand the wood. First, make sure all exposed screws and nailheads are below the surface of the deck. Sand lightly and slowly, and only until the grey has disappeared from the deck. Next, vacuum up all of the sanding residue. Finally, apply a semitransparent stain to finish the job.
After going through this process, your deck should be healthy for the next two to three years. Make sure to redo this process whenever you see greying in your deck’s wood.
Contact Paul Construction for All Montgomery County Outdoor Living Space Needs
If you’re looking to build upon your current outdoor living space for this summer, Paul Construction would love to help. For over 20 years, we’ve been helping Montgomery County families design and build their backyard paradises. We can assist you in all aspects of backyard construction, from patios and decks, to gazebos and cabanas, to full-scale outdoor living spaces with outdoor kitchens and living rooms. Contact us to get started on the planning process today.