Prepare Your Deck For Fall
Sam Lutz • August 29, 2017
Summer weather can be hard on a deck. Summer sun can drain can wear away your deck’s protective seal, causing damage to the wood. As summer turns into fall, it’s important to check your deck’s sealant and renew your deck’s protection, if needed.
Test Your Deck’s Protective Seal
A deck that has been properly sealed against the elements will be water resistant. As the protective seal wears away, your deck will absorb water that falls on its surface. To test your deck’s protective seal, spray the deck with a light sprinkle of water from a hose. Water should bead up on the surface of the wood without soaking in. If the water soaks into the wood immediately after being sprayed on the deck, then the deck needs to be re-stained.
Clean the Deck
Clean your deck before staining and sealing to ensure that the stain and sealer will properly adhere to and protect the wood.
- Cover nearby plants and landscaping with a tarp. This will help protect your plants from the chemicals that you’ll be applying to the deck.
- Sweep away dirt with a broom.
- Apply deck cleaner to the wood with a roller. Do not allow the deck cleaner to pool on the wood.
- While the deck is still wet, scrub the wood with a stiff bristled plastic brush.
- Allow the deck to dry for 48 hours before applying stain and sealer.
Follow all manufacturer’s instructions as you’re applying the deck cleaner to the surface of the deck.
Make Deck Repairs
Once the wood has been cleaned, it shouldn’t be hard to identify parts of the deck that need to be repaired. Replace protruding nails with ceramic coated deck screws, fill in any holes with wood putty and sand down splintered areas.
While you’re doing this, inspect the boards for rotten wood, and replace any rotten boards as needed. Rotten wood will be discolored, cracked and soft enough to puncture easily with a screwdriver or awl.
Stain and Seal the Deck
Staining and sealing the deck must be done at a time when no rain is expected for your area. Check weather predictions before beginning, and don’t start your project unless the weather is expected to be clear for at least two days. Before beginning your project, don’t forget to check the manufacturer’s recommended temperature conditions on the side of your stain/sealer product. Only apply the stain and sealer when the outdoor temperature is within acceptable parameters.
- Pour the stain/sealer combo into a paint tray.
- Cover your long-handled paint roller with sealer.
- Cover the deck with sealer, starting at the farthest point from the deck exit or the door.
- Use a narrow, angled paint brush to apply sealer in small cracks and crevices. Use a wide, flat paint brush to apply sealer on narrow, flat areas like railings.
When you’re finished, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding additional coats. Wait at least 24 hours before placing furniture on the deck.
Prepare For Late Fall
When late fall comes, plan to place large objects that normally sit on your deck into storage. Objects with a wide base, like planters, are especially bad for decks because they can trap moisture on the wood and damage the seal. Clear a space in your garage or elsewhere on your lawn to protect the wood and its seal.
Stop In At Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture
At Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture, we stock materials and products that help homeowners protect and maintain their decks. For materials to get started
on your deck cleaning and sealing project, stop in at one of our stores today!
There are all kinds of wooden furniture: modern, antique and everything in between. We’ve talked about style differences, but what about how it’s made and what it’s made of? Is there a large difference between the wood furniture of today and yesterday?
Colors are so fascinating. They make us feel, they help us express how we feel. The right colors can really set the mood in a room, or on an outfit. There’s a lot to color theory and what each of the colors mean. This St. Patrick’s Day we thought it’d be fun to explore a little about green.
One of the wonderful things about good wood furniture is that it doesn’t have to be merely functional. It can be beautiful as well. We’ve seen some amazing pieces made with wood stains that are more than just furniture, they’re works of art. So if you’ve got an old table, desk or other piece of wood furniture that needs jazzed up, why don’t you consider using some of our great stains to try one of these ideas.
What's your furniture style? Here’s a few of the more popular styles and the kind of look they give your home.
Wood is our most basic raw material used for creating furniture. Wood furniture is timeless, and the aesthetic options are endless. Let’s talk about a few today, shall we?
The 2010s saw an uptick in modern interiors, bringing in clean lines to decor and furniture, so what does the new decade have in store? Restyle your home for the new year with the latest trends.
Are they bright and bold? Wild and wacky? It’s a thrill for our industry to learn what the latest “in” colors will be each year, and they never disappoint. The color trends for 2020 include shades of green, blue and pink, and each have an inherent welcoming quality.
Holiday parties are part of the magic of the season, but the cleanup is a pain—especially when furniture is involved. Prevent disasters with a few tips on how to protect your furniture during holiday parties.
The holiday season has arrived, and soon every corner will be decked out in red and green. But have you ever stopped to think about what holiday colors mean?
Restaining an old piece of furniture with a new varnish color can go a long way, but first you need to remove the old stain color.