How To Revitalize Your Old Deck

If your deck is more than a few years old, it might be starting to show its age. Nature is particularly tough on wooden hardscaping, and over time, the wooden boards in your deck can start to dry out, weather, discolor, or rot from mold and mildew damage. This can lead homeowners to think that their once-beautiful deck is on its way out.

However, that's not necessarily true. As long as the deck is still structurally sound, restoring its strength and beauty isn't as difficult as you might expect. As seasoned deck repair and rehabilitation experts, we can offer some sage advice on how to pull your declining deck back from the brink!

Start With Structural Damage

Your wooden boards might not necessarily require replacement if they're somewhat weathered or dirty, but any significant damage will need to be repaired before any cosmetic upgrades can happen.

Inspect your deck thoroughly, starting by looking for structural damage like weakened joists, loose railings, rotted supports, etc. Bowed joints can be reinforced with new wood, and loose fasteners and railings can be retightened. However, any rusty hardware or rotted wood will need to be replaced to ensure that your deck remains structurally sound. When in doubt, test it out: if the wood is soft enough that a screwdriver can penetrate it, it's rotten and needs to be replaced.

Make Cosmetic Repairs

Once the structural issues have been addressed, you can move on to cosmetic fixes: replacing popped nails, filling in small cracks with caulk or wood glue, replacing any damaged or rotted boards, etc. After that, it's time to start preparing the surface for a new coat of paint or stain.

Clean & Prep The Surface

Decks made from natural wood need some form of protective coating, aka paint or wood stain, to shield them from UV damage, moisture, rot, and other harmful elements. Before a new coat can be applied, the surface needs to be thoroughly cleaned (which may also involve stripping and sanding the deck if you have painted or sealcoated wood). The easiest way to clean a deck prior to painting/staining it is through pressure washing.

Pressure washing will clean the surface of any debris, such as dirt, grime, old wood fibers, algae, or mildew, leaving a surface with no contaminants to impede your new stain or paint from setting properly. Your pressure washer should use a biodegradable cleaning solution to kill organisms like algae and mold to prevent them from growing back. Specialized cleaning detergents can also be used to combat tough stains caused by specific contaminants such as tannins from rotted leaves, algae, and grease.

Apply Your New Coating

After your deck has been completely pressure-washed, give the surface at least 24 hours to dry before you apply any paint, stain, or sealcoating to it. Note that some protective coatings (namely, most types of stains and sealcoats) need at least two days to fully set in. We highly recommend staining decks when you have a few days with no rain in the forecast. We also recommend staining your deck during warm-- but not hot-- weather. Around 70°F is ideal, nothing below 50°F or above 90°F.

Hammerdown Powerwashing Makes Deck Repair Easy

Depending on what condition your deck is in, it might not need a lot of work to restore it to its former beauty and integrity. Some "old" decks just need a good washing-up and a fresh coat of stain to bring back their luster. However, if your deck has a lot of serious structural or cosmetic damage, it might be worth bringing in a deck repair expert. That's where we come in!

In addition to providing expert pressure washing services in Glen Allen, Hammerdown Powerwashing's team has years of experience working on people's decks. From implementing minor repairs to building custom decks, we've done it all. Rest assured, no matter what your deck needs to get back in shape, we know how to take care of it, and our team of masterful, hard-working craftsmen will stop at nothing to deliver exceptional results!

Get back to enjoying the backyard you love on a deck that's sturdy, beautiful, and capable of holding up against the tests of time. If you'd like to request a free quote for deck repair, deck staining, or any of our expert pressure washing services, call Hammerdown Powerwashing at 804-543-5947.