It’s that time of year where you are starting to dream about backyard BBQs again. To get ready for the summer season, many homeowners are taking a look at the deck in their backyard and realizing that it could use a nice refinish job. The deck in your backyard gets a beating from mother nature. To keep your deck in good condition, it’s important to make sure that it has the protection it needs from the elements. Big Moose Pressure Cleaning is here to talk about what needs to be done to get your deck ready to be stained and sealed.
Why You Need to Prep Your Deck Before Painting or Staining?
When it comes to refinishing your deck, you will want to make sure you’re spending plenty of time getting it ready for the process. This means that you will need to follow some steps to ensure you have thoroughly gotten that deck ready for the new stain and sealant. Here is what you need to do.
– Make Deck Repairs: It isn’t uncommon for screws and nails to become loose on a deck. Go around your deck and make any repairs to the surface that you can see. It may be tightening some screws and nails or replacing them completely. Some of the boards may need to be replaced as well.
– Sanding Decking: Sanding the boards is one of the most important steps to the whole process. You have to remove all the old paint or stain that is found on the surface of your boards. If you don’t, you won’t get the finished product that you’re looking for. This is a good time to sand out any of the imperfections that you notice on your deck boards as well.
– Pressure Cleaning Deck: Now that the sanding has been done, you need to properly clean the deck. You will need to use a deck cleaner to get rid of any debris found on your deck. This includes any mold that could be growing. The best way to clean the deck before you stain it is with a pressure washer. Just be forewarned that it can be easy to damage wood with a pressure washer, and this job is best left to the pros.
– Drying Deck: Allowing the deck to completely dry before staining and sealing is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, the moisture in the wood will be pushed to the surface that stain and sealant won’t adhere properly to the wood. It can also trap moisture in there that can cause mold growth. Give your deck 1-2 days to completely dry after cleaning.
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After you have completed all the prep work mentioned above, you can complete the staining and sealing process. Before you get started on refinishing your deck, make sure you call on Big Moose Pressure Cleaning to come and make sure your deck is cleaned sufficiently for the process. Call us today!