In honor of Halloween, UglyDeck.com wanted to share some scary facts to warn homeowners what happens when you skip your annual deck maintenance routine.
- Rain and wind move dirt around your deck, but these natural elements don’t remove debris. Therefore, it’s important to give your deck a thorough scrub when preparing it for summer. Not washing your deck leaves it vulnerable to grime buildup, which can lead to later wood rot or other deck safety issues.
- Power washing a deck may save you time and energy in the spring, but if set too high, the pressure can strip the wood of its natural oils, loosen nails, and cause the wood to warp in the winter, especially if you have an older deck. If you’re unsure of the amount of pressure to use when power washing a deck, just ask the UglyDeck.com experts.
- Chlorine bleach may sound like a smart way to remove mold and mildew from your deck, but its harsh chemicals can actually remove your wooden deck’s natural color and weaken its fibers.
- During the spring and fall seasons, it’s important to inspect your deck for any loose nails, deck railings, or splintered wood. Not doing so leaves your deck susceptible to added moisture from rain, snow, and ice.
- Leaving deck furniture or rugs out on a deck during winter is a sure way to invite future damage. Depending on your furniture’s materials, let’s say for this example it’s metal, the material may begin to rust, leaving difficult-to-remove stains on your once attractive wooden deck. In another scenario, let’s say you have wooden furniture. Like your deck, the furniture may exhibit signs of mildew or splinters. This could cause wood rot that will eventually find its way onto the deck’s surface. Let’s also not forget that having furniture placed on a deck during the snow and icy seasons will no doubt provide a perfect breeding ground for moisture to accumulate. That means you can definitely expect water damage and an even longer deck maintenance routine in the spring to repair all the damage.
Having an annual deck maintenance routine is essential to ensuring the safety and longevity of your outdoor deck. For more ideas on how to winterize your deck this fall, check out our blog page for more tips from the deck building experts at UglyDeck.com. For questions about our deck repair services or if you’d like to learn about the benefits of a maintenance free deck, contact us today!
