Refinishing & Cleaning a Wood Deck (Guest Post)

In order to have a strong wood deck which looks good all the time, you have to take care of it. The refinishing is one of the procedures that it is nice to perform every year, in order to freshen up the look of your wood deck. This will also secure the prolonging of the life of the wood and will make any future maintaining of this part of your home easier. When you also add the regular cleaning that you ordinarily perform, you can be sure that you will have the best looking deck. Even though you can hire professionals for the execution of the refinishing procedure, you can still try to do it yourself and save some money at the same time. More about the different steps of the process you can learn below.

• ·       Preparing your wood deck - Before you can begin the refinishing procedure, however, you have to prepare the area by performing one thorough cleaning. You have to remove all forms of grime from the surface of the wood and one way you can do this is by scrubbing by hand. You can also use a stiff push broom. If possible, you can also use a pressure washer. You have to make sure that all stains are removed entirely and you can do this by purchasing a special chemical stripper. In the end, you can use a pressure washing machine for the final erasing of all grime. While you are cleaning, though, don't focus on one area for too long because you may damage the wood. When you are done, your wood deck should have a different colour. After you finish with the cleaning of your wood deck, you have to let it dry. 
• ·       Applying finish - Once the whole area is dry, it is time for the applying of the finish. When you visit the specialised store, you will notice that this product is offered in different colours. You can pick the new colour of your wood deck yourself and you can also consult with the specialists at the store. Keep in mind that the clear products usually last only a year or two but it all depends on the weather conditions. The semitransparent ones could last for a longer period of time. For the applying you can use a paint roller or a brush. You can also get a special sprayer. They are easy to use and unlike the brushes they allow you to cover also all places which are usually harder to reach. 
• ·       Inspecting the area - When you are done with the refinishing it is important to perform one final inspection of the place. This will give you the chance to notice if there is some kind of problem. In case you missed certain areas, just use a little brush to cover them with the product.
  

The refinishing of you wood deck won't be successful, unless you perform a deep cleaning first. Dedicate as much time as needed to this procedure, so that you can be sure that the results of your work will be preserved for a long period of time. The refinishing will protect your wood deck from cracks and various other problems which, on the other hand, will save you a lot of money in the future. As you can see, you can perform the procedure yourself and the best part is that once you learn to do it, you will be able to freshen up your wood deck every year. You will have the chance to enjoy your wood deck for many years, if you simply dedicate a couple of hours of your time to the refinishing of the area.

 
The article is kindly contributed by HomeCleaners Notting Hill