Most decks need fall maintenance to last through winter and beyond

For many people isolated at home this summer, a backyard deck has been an invaluable outdoor refuge. And now is the time to take some steps to make sure that refuge is ready next spring — even if, with luck, we’re not as isolated.

Fall preparation might be old hat for long-time deck owners. But, with staycations all the rage, many homeowners built decks for the first time this year.

"It was a big year for decks and patios," said Mike Chekanoff, a manager at APCO, a Columbus home improvement company.

Chekanoff estimated his company built more than 90 decks this year, but noted, "It was also a challenging year, because of material shortages," which caused the price of lumber to soar.

Most decks are built with treated wood, or with composite material that is more like plastic. Composite decks generally require less maintenance than wood decks, but usually cost more to build.

This year, however, the rising price of lumber did a lot to equalize the prices, Chekanoff said.

But whether wood or composite, all decks require some maintenance. The long gaps between deck boards should be clean and free of dirt or or other gunk that would keep melting ice and snow from draining through this winter, Chekanoff said.

Sweeping or shoveling ice and snow off your deck is a good idea, he said, especially if it's being used as, say, a pathway from garage to back door.

"The ice and snow can really beat it up," he said.

And don't use rock salt on your deck, warned Brian Aliff, manager of the Lowe's home improvement store on Polaris Parkway.

"Salt is corrosive," he said. "There are some friendlier products you can use to melt ice and snow, but in general, leaving salt on a stained or finished deck is not a good idea."

Most wood decks needs to be treated periodically with a waterproofing stain or sealant, Aliff said.

A stain or sealant can beautify a wood deck, but most importantly, it protects the deck from rain, snow and other moisture that can penetrate the wood and cause warping, splintering and rot, he said.

However, for someone who built a new wood deck very recently, the best thing to do this fall might be nothing at all, Aliff said.

"If you had a new (wooden) deck put in in the last three months, there's nothing you can really do this season," he said.

Lumber that has been pressure-treated to infuse it with preservatives requires time to dry completely, Aliff said.

A very recently built pressure-treated deck might not have had time to dry completely.

"It's been hot and dry this summer, and that's helped," he said. "But I’d consider waiting until spring" to apply a top coat of stain or preservative.

"If you cover it with something now, the moisture in the wood, as it finds its way out, will lift off that (new) finish," he said.

New wood decking also tends to shrink as it dries, which can damage a new stain or surface treatment, Aliff said.

Wooden decks that have been sealed or stained in the last few years also might not need retreatment this fall, said Dani Neuman, product manager at Thompson's WaterSeal, which produces popular lines of deck waterproofing and stains.

The time between treatments will depend on things such as use, sun exposure, the age of the deck and the quality or type of the sealant or stain, Neuman said.

A solid color deck stain usually provides more protection and might need fewer applications over time, but a transparent or semi-transparent coating will allow the natural wood grain to show through, which some deck owners find appealing, she said.

Some owners of wood decks choose a transparent or semi-transparent coating early in the deck's life, and change to a more opaque stain as the deck becomes more weathered, she said.

A close visual inspection usually will reveal if the previous sealant or coating is flaking or worn away in spots, Neuman said.

If the wear is limited to a few spots, a deck owner might be able to clean or sand those patches and recoat them individually, instead of recoating the entire deck. But if the whole deck needs treated, fall is definitely a good time to do it, she said.

"The freeze-thaw cycle is so hard on a deck, you want to get a layer on there to protect it from the winter elements," Neuman said.

Preparation, especially cleaning, is key to doing the job right and making sure your wood deck is properly sealed. Otherwise, the life of the new coating will be unnecessarily short, she said.

Fall also is a good time to clean dirt, algae and mold from composite decks, even though they won't need waterproofing, Aliff said.

"You don't need anything fancy. No harsh chemicals," Aliff said. "A bucket of water with some dishwashing soap will usually do the job."

He also advises owners of composite decks to periodically move anything sitting on the deck, such as furniture or grills. Sunlight will naturally fade the color of many composite decks, so moving items will allow the fading to occur evenly, he said.

"If you leave chairs or a grill in the same spot for months, you will get something like a shadow," Aliff said.

And next spring, he added, be sure to check your deck for any weather damage, including screws or nails that might have come loose during the winter's freeze-thaw cycles.

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Dani Neuman of Thompson's WaterSeal offers these tips to prepare your wood deck before applying a protective coating of stain or sealant this fall:

• Surfaces and substrates must be free of all mildew stains, dust, dirt, oil, soot, grease and other contaminants.

• On untreated, weathered surfaces, it is best to pressure wash, but at minimum, scrubbing with a stiff bristle brush and rinsing with a garden hose should be done to completely remove all loose wood fibers. Sanding is best to remove any loose wood fibers.

• Remove all existing loose, flaking or peeling stain. Failure to do so will result in continued flaking and peeling.

• If surface is damp or wet from cleaning or weather, allow the surface to dry before application. For a stain or sealant's drying time, it's best to check the product label.