Deck cleaning and waterproofing are essential if you want to get many years of usefulness out of your wood deck. When pressure treated lumber is exposed to the elements without a protective sealant it doesn’t take long to start to rot and decay. The sun’s harmful UV rays will damage the wood fibers in a short three to six months time. This sun damage will turn the deck grey. Dampness and moisture also do a great amount of damage to the wood if it is not protected. Rain and morning dew are absorbed into the wood causing it to swell; once the wood dries out it shrinks. It’s this constant swelling and shrinking that causes the wood to crack, splinter, and split. To prevent these damaging effects, the wood needs to be sealed with a quality penetrating oil based sealer. A proper deck cleaning should be performed before sealing the wood. A deck should be cleaned the proper way and with the proper chemicals and then re-sealed every couple of years as maintenance. Doing this will ensure you can be using your deck for many years to come.
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