Here you can see the original condition of a weathered deck followed by pressure washing and the final look after staining.
The one thing to remember about decks is the inherent difficulty in having them maintain their new look for multiple (3-4) years. Unlike the logs which make up the support structure of your home and are often at least somewhat protected from overhangs, decks take a much more brutal pounding by the elements. The color and protection provided for your log walls will last longer than what you apply to your deck. There are 3 primary reasons for this:
- Decks provide a horizontal surface which allows rain and snow to sit for prolonged periods of time which will more quickly degrade the deck surface.
- Foot traffic further shortens the life of the stain.
- Compared to walls, decks are exposed to the sun much more, which is what causes the aging or greying effect on your wood. The question of, “How often do I need to redo my deck” has varying answers except you can be certain it will require attention more often than your walls.
Like your log walls, decks don’t weather in a uniform fashion. After a period of time, areas exposed to direct sunlight will probably show more wear and weathering while shaded surfaces closer to the walls may show very little, if any degradation.
Cleaning
Pressure washing is easily the most popular method of cleaning I use on decks. There are times a chemical stripper could be used, but often by the time I restore a deck, it’s degraded to the point that there is very little, if any stain / protectant left. If a chemical stripper isn’t necessary, a good wood cleaner may be applied prior to pressure washing, or water alone often works.
Pressure washing your driveway and / or concrete area leading to your entryway can also be done. These areas don’t need a cleaner prior to pressure washing. You might be surprised how clean these areas can become, as these photos illustrate illustrates.
Sanding
Sanding of your deck can also be done, generally with an Orbital or Palm Sander with a Velcro backed sanding disk. While it is a much more time consuming process than pressure washing, results will be stellar as the wood will be left smoother as well as being able to remove all stain residue that perhasps the pressure washing won’t be able to remove. A sanded deck will also often stain lighter than one pressure washed due to the smooth surface you’ll achieve….and like logs, smooth, sanded wood will absorb less stain than not having it sanded.
Staining
Over 90% of UV protection is provided by pigments in your stain, whether it be for the deck, log walls or wood siding. This means if you use a protectant that is clear or one with very little color, the greying effect the sun has on your wood will be accelerated immediately. If you can see your wood, so can the sun.
This doesn’t mean you need to have a dark stain applied to provide ample protection. True, the more pigment in a stain, the longer it will last. But you can also go with a pigment that closely resembles the color of your wood. This way you’ll get the necessary protection yet your deck won’t appear that its been heavily stained. The quickest way to stain a deck is with a roller. If a roller is used, make sure to excessively roll back and forth in order to get good penetration in to the wood.