Over the years, our customers have called us to do all kinds of home repairs. One job that a lot of clients call us to do is a wooden deck installation. We have a team of expert builders that visit our customers’ homes and not only install the deck but design it as well. Admittedly, having a new deck installed on your home can be expensive. This is why it’s really important that you and your family take care of your deck. If this means you invest in a pressure washer to keep your deck clean, so be it. Better yet, you can hire a professional to come out and either deep clean or pressure wash your deck for you.

If you want your wooden deck to last at least 10 years, you need to treat it well. Take care of routine and necessary maintenance early, so that you don’t have to pay a deck builder to replace your deck within a matter of years. Here, we will discuss a few tips you need to know in order to take proper care of your wooden deck. If you still have questions after reading this article, give us a call. We can always send one of our agents out to do a free estimate at your home.

Sweep It Clean Every Week

This may sound like common sense, but you need to sweep your deck at least once or twice a week. This is especially true if you eat outdoors or have pets. We visit some homes and take one look at the deck and immediately ask the homeowner if they have a dog. For some reason, no matter how well they’re trained, dogs like to do their business on their human’s deck. If the urine is not cleaned immediately, it seeps through the wood and causes significant damage over the long run. In addition, the odor of the urine will eventually cover the entire area.

The same thing is true with food. If you have a large deck in your backyard, you probably have family and friends over for barbecues. That’s one of the reasons people get a large deck in the first place. You must be really careful about making sure any trash or food is swept off the deck within an hour of eating. It’s also a good idea to take your garden hose and spray the entire deck so any oil or grease spots don’t set and stain your deck.

Never Use Chlorine on Your Wooden Deck

Every now and then, we get a phone call from one of our customers telling us that something is wrong with their wooden deck. They say that they followed our advice and clean their deck every month like they’re supposed to. They sweep it periodically and treat it to a deep clean every now and then. They only use soft materials like a sponge or soft bristle brush. So, they can’t understand why all of a sudden, their wooden deck is cracking, splitting, or otherwise falling apart.

One critical mistake these customers make is that they use chlorine bleach on their deck. Even if your deck is made out of composite wood, you can never use chlorine to clean it. Chlorine is one of the harshest chemicals contained in outdoor cleaners. No matter how dirty your deck may be, you should never resort to using chlorine, diluted or otherwise.

Be Wary of Using Natural Rugs on Your Deck

With everybody being so eco- friendly today, a lot of homeowners have gone with natural materials when it comes to their outdoor rugs. The problem is that if you have a rug that’s made of bamboo or some other natural material, it may invite mold and mildew. It may also attract bacteria to your wooden deck. Not only is this unhealthy for you and your pets, but it can also cause severe damage to your deck.

If you’re going to use outdoor rugs, you should choose rugs made from recycled plastic. Not only are these rugs environmentally friendly, but you also won’t have to deal with the problems you have with rugs made from natural materials.

There’s No Such Thing as a Maintenance Free Wooden Deck

Regardless of the material you choose, there’s no such thing as a maintenance- free deck. If you have a deck outside your home, whether it’s out front or in your yard, you need to take care of it. At a minimum, you need to heed the advice provided in this article. At the same time, you need to make sure you consult a professional when it comes to pressure washing your wooden deck. You should also consult with a deck builder if you believe it’s time to repair or replace your deck. It’s a good idea to call one of our deck builders if you need to have your deck stained. When homeowners attempt to do these things on their own, they usually end up with a much bigger mess than they started with. Our deck builders are professionals for a reason -they spent years or even decades working on decks and other outside structures. They know how to take care of them, and they know when it’s time to replace them.

At Some Point, You May Need to Call a Deck Builder

A lot of homeowners think that their outside wooden deck will last them 10 or 20 years. In some cases, your deck could last this long- if you take proper care of it. The problem a lot of homeowners make is they assume that their deck is maintenance- free. There’s no such thing as a maintenance- free deck. Your deck is an extension of your home; therefore, you owe it to yourself to keep up with it. If it’s gotten to the point where your deck is beyond repair, then it’s probably a good idea to call a professional deck builder to come in and tear it down so they can replace it with a new one.

If you would rather spare the expense of having an entirely new deck installed, then make sure you follow the guidelines provided here. We always tell our customers if they take care of their deck, their deck will take care of them. If you aren’t sure how much longer you can go without replacing your deck, give us a call. We will send one of our expert technicians out to take a look and give you a free estimate.