As I returned from my vacation yesterday I looked out my window to find that my entire back yard and decks were covered in leaves from the giant maple tree in my yard. The last thing I wanted to do was to go outside in the rain and start cleaning up the mess but I knew I needed to get to work.
Every year I try to encourage people to be proactive with cleaning up leaves from yards and decks to help protect them. Absolute Painting loves helping Portland homeowners with construction, staining and protecting their decks as needed but we also want them to do their part this time of year to get the longest lasting results out of our work. We offer many types and colors of stain that can help protect your wood decks and this work is typically done in the warmer season.
When we stain decks or put any type of sealer on them our goal is to protect the wood and make them look beautiful for 2-3 years at a time. This is not an easy task given our wet climate and the moisture that can get trapped on them. Not only will the leaves start to damage our wood decks immediately but they can cause the wood to deteriorate much sooner. Wet leaves will immediately start to leave marks on your deck that will be difficult to remove.
If you can be proactive and sweep the leaves off of your decks each day during this season you can save money on maintenance and repairs that can add up to thousands of dollars very quickly. Also take time to remove pots and rugs that might trap moisture against the wood prior to the wet season. If you do not want to remove them just purchase something that lifts that off the deck to allow airflow under them. Replacement of a medium sized deck can be over $10K easily and more if it is high off the ground. Larger decks can easily go above $20K to replace.
Most trees will lose leaves this time of year in about 2-3 weeks so do your part to protect your decks and save money in the long run. At Absolute Painting & Power Washing we are happy to assist you with any type of cleanup or advice you might need on home or deck maintenance. Call us today with any questions you might have on this topic.
