Deck care is an important part of building and owning a deck at your home. Without proper deck cleaning and maintenance, your deck will begin to fade and crack. Decks are quite an investment, so you’ll want to keep up on composite deck maintenance or wood deck maintenance, in order to take care for your deck year in and year out.

Wood Deck Maintenance: Sweeping

Wood deck maintenance and deck cleaning start with a thorough sweeping. Dirt and debris will accumulate over your deck during the winter months. When spring time comes, you’ll want to follow the right deck cleaning rules for wooden decks. Using a leaf blower is your best bet when it comes to sweeping off the debris on your deck. A broom can’t get into the small spaces between the planks, where dirt likes to hide. Wooden deck cleaning shouldn’t be put on the back burner until Springtime. Be sure to remove debris several times per year as part of wood deck maintenance.

Deck Cleaning Tips

Regular deck care with a leaf blower is only part of the wood deck maintenance process. You should also complete a thorough deck cleaning once per year, normally after the winter. Start off by rinsing off your deck with a hose or a low pressure washer. Don’t use a high pressure washer, or it will damage the wood. Doing a deck cleaning with a hose will remove most of the stains accumulated over the course of the winter.

If you have more stubborn stains, such as bird droppings, you can use a commercially available pre-treater. Another important part of deck care is examining your deck for signs of mold and mildew. If you see any signs of rot damage, you can use a mold treatment product especially made for wood deck maintenance.

Wood Deck Maintenance: Applying a Sealer

Wood deck maintenance also includes yearly applications of a sealer and protectant. You need to sweep off and do a complete deck cleaning before applying the sealer. A sealer is an important part of wood deck maintenance, and this deck care procedure will help preserve your deck’s quality. Find a commercially made sealer that will protect your wooden deck from the elements. Use a long handled brush to apply the sealant to your deck or use a spray paint gun to apply the sealer quickly. Let the sealant dry completely before setting foot on the deck again.

Composite Deck Maintenance

Composite decks need a special type of deck care. These steps typically aren’t as complex as those involved in wood deck maintenance. However, composite deck maintenance is still required to keep this type of deck looking great. The most important aspect of deck care for this deck material is spraying plain water from your hose. Spraying off your deck from time to time will usually take care of composite deck maintenance. If you have tougher stains, you can use commercially-made composite deck maintenance and deck cleaning products.