Decks are synonymous with warm weather relaxation. But whether your deck is wood or synthetic, it needs maintenance to sustain its condition. Through the seasons of the year, preventative maintenance on decks is always, always, the best approach to keeping your cost of ownership down.
Here are a few tips for you to help keep your deck in tip top condition and enjoyable as the weather warms up.
Always inspect your deck as soon as the weather gets better.
Regardless of the type of surface on your deck, you want to make sure that the structural elements of the deck are all sound. This includes things like:
- The ledger board that connects your deck to your house
- The posts that support the deck
- The joists that run from your posts to support your deck boards
You also want to make sure that you check railings and stairs for stability as it's possible, they may have come loose with the expansion and contraction due to weather. There are also unique checks to make depending on the type of surface you have on your deck.
Synthetic Decks
Look for signs of mildew that can create slipperiness and safety hazards. Also look for any indication that screws or clamps that hold the boards in place may have come loose. One sneaky occasional problem with synthetic decks is that you may see the boards start to sag. This can happen when the distance between the joists supporting the deck boards are too wide for the tolerances of the boards themselves.
Wood Decks
You need to pay a lot more attention to the condition of the individual boards themselves. Wood boards are organic, and they will deteriorate over time. The best signs of this include cracking in the wood, scaling, curling, bending, or rot. Particularly pay attention to the seams where deck boards bump into each other as well as the areas around railing posts and screws. If you detect any of these conditions, you're going to want to replace the offending boards right away. If any of these conditions are broadly prevalent, it may be that you need to resurface the deck.
Wood decks also typically need to be protected every two or three years. Whether you paint your deck or use a type of stain, these will wear off over time and need to be replaced. If it's been a few years since you last had your deck treated, now is the time to get it done. We'll get into the conditions and dynamics of coating a deck in another blog post.
Even if your deck boards and supporting structures are in great shape, we recommend that you power wash your deck as early in the spring as possible to clear off any debris that may have gotten ground into the wood over the winter.
If you're not sure what you're looking at and you need some assistance, then call a professional who has experience not just as a deck builder, but also with expertise in maintaining decks as well, like Ace Handyman Services North Oakland County. With proper maintenance and care, just like any element of your home, you can minimize more significant expenditures with regular preventative maintenance and extend the life of your deck.