Take a deck from weather-beaten to beautiful. Keep its surface in good shape, and you’ll be rewarded with years of use.

Besides enhancing a deck;s aesthetic appeal, a protective finish must defend against water and sunlight.  Make no mistake that these two elements are among the most destructive forces in nature’s arsenal, and in many climates, they are at work on a daily basis.

Step 1, Starting with a good cleaning:

• Apply the cleaner:  Starting with vertical surfaces and working from the top down, apply deck cleaner.  Allow it to work for 10-15 minutes.
• Scrub the surface:  Moving in the direction of the wood grain, use a stiff-bristle brush on a telescopic pole to clean the wooden surfaces.  Horizontal boards are usually the dirtiest.  Use smaller handheld brushes for hard to reach areas.
• Power rinse:  Starting with the vertical surfaces and working form the top down, rinse the deck clean with a pressure washer equipped with a wide angle nozzle.  Nozzles with a tighter spray pattern can strip out soft areas, leaving gouges.

Step 2, Brightening for a newer look:

• Brighten the clean wood.  After allowing the wood to dry, apply an oxalic-acid based wood brightener to all surfaces.  Mix 1 gallon of the brighter with about 3 gallons of water.  Apply and allow the brightener to work for about 15 minutes, then scrub the wood with a stiff brush and rinse it with a pressure washer.
• Scrub again:  Once the wood brightener has worked for another 15 minutes, scrub the surfaces again with stiff-bristle brushes.  A long handle provides additional leverage.
• Rinse clean:  A gas-powered pressure washer equipped with a wide-angle nozzle rinses and cleans the surfaces without damage.  The pressure washer doesn’t apply the two cleaning chemicals; it sprays only water.

Step 3, Deck finishing:

• One board at a time: To prevent lap marks, coat the deck boards with finish individually.  After covering each board, stop spraying, and wipe away excess coating as necessary.
• Spray, then smooth:  A painter’s pad on a long pole helps to smooth the layer of  finish applied with the sprayer.  The pad works the finish into the grain and events the application so that it’s absorbed uniformly.
• Wipe odd the excess:  Once the finish has had a chance to be absorbed fully by the decking (about 10 minutes), remove the excess with a rag or a rag covered scrub brush.

These simple steps are easy to do, but might be tedious and time consuming.  Therefore, why not call us for a free estimate?

703-912-444 or click to send us a request form: http://abcdesignandbuild.com/request-free-estimate/

We are general contractors licensed and insured in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC.

Call us today!

• Bird feeders.  Invite birds into your yard and maybe they’ll sing you a tune  Keep them coming back by stocking a bird feeder with a high-quality birdseed mix.

 

• Trees.  Japanese maple trees are a popular garden choice because of the texture, shape and color of the foliage.  They are also small in size, so you will have no issue planting them in your tranquility garden!

 

We are experts in creating you a patio, deck, fireplaces and fences!

Call us today for a free estimate: 703-912-422