Maintaining Your Deck Stain

Wooden decks often require yearly maintenance. It’s this yearly maintenance that make most people dread having a deck. If you have performed the right preparation and cleaning as well as chosen a high quality penetrating oil based deck stain, maintenance does not have to be an issue. The key is to understand is that maintenance is preventative. Instead of letting your deck stain fail and have the wood turn gray, simply reapply a new coat of stain every spring. Its important to make sure that you first remove any mold or dirt. If you already have a deck stain or sealer that is intact, you can mix one part household bleach to two parts water and add a squirt of dish cleaning liquid like Dawn™. Use a very soft bristled brush (a truck wash brush works well) to gently agitate the cleaner on the surface. Rinse away the dirt with a garden hose. You may notice a slight lightening of color on the existing finish.. that is nothing about which you should worry. Let the deck dry for a full day. Now simply apply your fresh coat of deck stain and voila! Your deck will be good as new.