Spring is quickly approaching and many Portland homeowners are looking outside at the mess the winter has left behind. Moss and mildew have sprung up everywhere including on our roofs, decks and driveways. The house may be green or black from all the moisture and the outdoor furniture will likely be really dirty.
Spring is a great time to take a good look at your outdoor decking. Most decks in Oregon are made of Cedar which is beautiful and can last for many years with the proper maintenance. Most homeowners do not keep up with the maintenance required to keep that deck looking good for many years.
Here are a few tips to take a look at in the spring to get the most life out of your outdoor living space. Walk around your deck and check for soft spots in the wood. Try to do this after we have received a few sunny days and it is not soaking wet out. If you find any soft spots or if the deck feels unstable you should look into replacing the bad boards and inspecting deck for safety. This is really important if the deck is off the ground very far.
You should take a close look at the handrails on the deck. Feel them and make sure they are solid and not getting loose. It does not take much pressure to get a bad handrail to break and you get a major injury. Your rails may just have loose bolts that can be tightened or you may need to replace bad boards to make it safer.
Once you have determined that your deck is safe to be on you should inspect the coating that you have on it. If you can’t remember the last time you stained your deck it is probably overdue for staining again. A stain or sealer is what protects the wood from deteriorating quickly and in Portland that is extremely important. I have seen decks that were less than five years old fall apart because they were never stained. You may go two years between staining in some cases but you must keep a close eye on it. The older a deck gets the more maintenance it will require.
At Absolute Painting & Power Washing we offer a full range of deck services from cleaning and staining to inspecting and building a new deck. Treat your deck right and it will save you a lot of money in the long run.
