Deck Sealing And Refinishing Tips

When it comes to building or updating your home, you are probably looking for ways to save money. The easiest way to save money is by doing as many of these projects by yourself. As far as do-it-yourself home projects are concerned, deck repair, water proofing, and deck refinishing are some of the easier things to do. If your deck is in rough shape and you want to fix it yourself, here are some tips. 
Go In With A Plan- When you are doing any type of home improvement project, you need to go in with a plan. You may know that your deck needs work, but what exactly does it need to have done? Do you need weather proofing or just water proofing? Do you need deck sealing or just deck refinishing? Maybe you need it all, in that case, you need to take your time and make sure you get the best products for the job. 

Start With Repairs- Before you even start refinishing or staining your deck, you need to do any repairs that your deck might need. Deck repair can be the hardest part of sprucing up the outside of your house. Sometimes all it will take is a fresh board and some nails, while other times you are going to have to put in a whole new support system. 

Scrub Your Wood, Then Test It- Once you are sure your deck is safe and no one is going to fall the boards, it is time to clean it. You will want to use a deck cleaner and a scrub brush. If you have a lot of areas to cover you can use a pressure washer. After it is cleaned you are going to want to test it and make sure deck sealing is needed. Sprinkle some water on the boards, if absorbs immediately the deck can be sealed, if it beads up on top of the boards, then you can wait a little while longer. 

Apply Your Sealing Product- When it comes to deck sealing products, you want to make sure to buy something that is going to get the job done. This is not an area you want to cheap out on, because the more expensive products are going to contain better ingredients thus making the product work better. You will want something that can also be used for weather proofing, not just sealing. Once you have your sealing product you will want to apply it. You can just use a foam roller to apply it, just be careful not to over apply or miss any spots.

​Be Patience- After doing your deck refinishing you are going to be excited at how good it looks. Many people try to rush and start using their beautiful new deck immediately. Don’t do this, wait at least 24 hours before decorating or even walking on it. It will look much better in the long run.