How Often Should You Waterproof Your Deck?

With the warmer months coming to a close, you may find yourself prepping your outdoor deck for the chilly winter months ahead, removing outdoor décor and covering patio furniture. For homeowners with traditional wooden decking, you may have additional precautions to take to prepare and protect your deck from the harsh winter weather.

Whether you’ve inherited your wooden deck when you purchased your home or you’ve recently installed your outdoor deck, wood decks require annual upkeep to ensure their structural integrity remains intact and to prevent splintering, cracking, and rotting. By simply applying a sealing treatment, you can waterproof the wood and even protect your decking from excessive sun exposure, allowing your decking to last much longer.

Before you head indoors for the winter season, let’s ensure your wooden decking is properly sealed and treated to withstand whatever Mother Nature throws its way!

When Should I Seal My Deck?

The frequency at which you should waterproof and seal your outdoor wooden deck depends on various factors:

• Usage (i.e. the amount of wear and tear it receives)
• Weather exposure (e.g. water, snow, ice, heat, etc.)
• Sun exposure
• Level of protection from previous sealant(s)

A standard wooden deck typically requires annual resealing, but depending on the above factors, you may only need to reseal every 2-3 years. If you’re unsure if its time to reseal your decking, consider trying the water bead test by sprinkling water on various parts of your decking and railings. A properly-sealed deck should cause the water to bead up. If your water gets absorbed into the wood, it’s time to retreat your decking to prevent damage and rot.

To reseal your outdoor deck, you’ll want to first follow these deck maintenance tips to prep the wood for sealers:

1. Thoroughly clean decking with water (e.g. power washer, hose & scrub brush, etc.)
2. Sand away any imperfections and splintering, if needed.
3. Replace any rotted or damaged materials with new boards, if needed.
4. Apply sealer as per packaging directions, once decking has dried.
5. Wait 48 hours to thoroughly dry before returning furniture, etc.

What Type of Deck Sealer Should I Use?

The type of sealer to use on your decking depends on what type of wood material you have. If you are uncertain as to what wood from which your decking is made, contact your local deck contractor for assistance, and they’ll be able to recommend the best products to use or reseal your decking for you. Many wood decks are made from pressure-treated pine wood, but other woods, like hardwoods, cedar, etc., can be used in outdoor decking.

For most wood decking, you’ll find three different kinds of deck sealers:

• Clear Sealer—This is a completely clear sealant that waterproofs your wood without altering the natural color of the decking. These sealers rarely offer UV-ray protection that prevents aging and graying of your wood.
• Semi-Transparent Sealer—This is a tinted sealer that will slightly alter the natural color of the wood, provide the necessary waterproofing it needs, and offer some UV-ray protection as well.
• Solid Stain—While this works like a sealer, it also fairly opaque in its color distribution; it delivers tough waterproofing and sun protection and comes in a variety of colors.

Regardless of which sealer you choose, be sure to diligently follow the instructions for each product, as it varies between brands, and you want to make sure the sealer appropriately cures to protect your outdoor decking materials.

Tired of Tedious Annual Deck Maintenance?

Though wood is an incredibly classic, initially affordable decking option, the amount of annual maintenance and upkeep to maintain its structural integrity and traditional beauty can be overwhelming and tiresome. Not all outdoor decking is created equally, however.

If you’re interested in updating your outdoor deck, consider replacing your wood deck with a maintenance-free decking option, like a composite deck with powder-coated aluminum railings. These maintenance-free decking materials require no annual upkeep and waterproofing, allowing you to spend more time enjoying the end of the season and less time preparing your decking for winter! At UglyDeck.com, our team of expert deck contractors understand how precious and valuable your time is, and we always look to help homeowners minimize the time they need to maintain their outdoor living spaces, so they can spend more time outdoors with loved ones.

Come visit our UglyDeck.com showrooms, like our newest Mandan, ND location, where you can meet one of our decking experts, ask all of your questions, and experience the customizable maintenance-free products in person. For more deck design inspiration, you can visit our photo gallery to see some of the finished projects we’ve completed for customers. When you’re ready to get started, contact us today for a free consultation and estimate! We are excited to help you spend more time making memories and less time maintaining your outdoor decking.