A few years ago, I realized that I didn't really know how to keep my house clean. There were always dishes sitting in the sink, and I couldn't keep up with laundry if my life depended on it. However, a friend of mine suggested working with a professional maid, and so I took her advice. As she worked, I watched her methods, and I learned a lot. This blog is dedicated to my cleaning studies. Here, you will find information on how to clean your house more effectively, so that you can stop wasting time on certain jobs. My plan is that this website could help you to live better than ever. Thanks for reading!
If you're prepping your vacation house for sale, then it's important that you make sure the deck is in good shape. People who are looking at a vacation house will be turned off by a faded, splinter-filled deck. They want a nice deck that they can sit out on and relax, eat breakfast and dinner, and also entertain on. They don't want an ugly deck that will be an embarrassment if they want to invite friends over. Luckily, a deck is easy to fix. Most of the time it's a cosmetic issue of the stain having faded and a few loose boards. Below is a quick guide to rehab your deck
Fix Loose Boards
The first thing you need to do is make sure any loose boards are taken care of. Get a hammer and a small chisel. The chisel will be used to tap in loose nails. You don't want to strike the hammer right down onto the deck because you can leave imprints. What you will do is find the loose boards and, if the nail is still firm in the board, use the chisel to hammer it back down. Place the thin chisel on the nail head and hammer the chisel.
If the nail is in a spot where the wood is rotted, then there is no point hammering it back down. It will simply pop up again. So remove the nail with pliers and hammer in a new nail in a nearby spot. You will fill in the hole with wood putty later. To get the new nail started use the hammer right on the nail. But when you get close to the surface of the board, use the chisel.
Chemical Strip or Power Wash
You now have to remove the old, damaged stain. You have two options. You can use a chemical strip, or you can power wash it off. The problem with chemical strips is that they are very powerful, and you will need to use gloves, glasses, and a mask to protect your lungs. They are also very messy when you are cleaning them up. You will have to scrape the gunk off the deck with a paint scraper after the chemical stripper has been applied.
A power wash might be a better solution. You can hire someone to come in and power wash the deck. This will strip off the top layer of wood, which includes the stain. It is a good idea to get an expert to do this if you're not familiar with power washers. The strong ones that can remove stain need to be used with care. If you haphazardly use one at close range, you can damage the boards.
Sand Down Rough Spots
Now that the stain has been stripped, use a hand sander to remove any rough spots. You don't want to stain over splinters.
Wood Putty Time
Use wood putty to fill in the nail holes, as well as any other little missing chunks of wood you see. Let the putty dry according to the directions on the container and then sand it down so that it is flush.
Apply Fresh Stain
It's now time to apply fresh stain to the deck. You will want to choose a stain that is rated for exterior use. You can choose any color you like, so now is a great time to fix an ugly color that you have hated for many years. You will need staining rags and foam brushes. When applying the stain, make sure the weather forecast for the day is for sun. You don't want to stain and then have it rain hours later. Ideally, you want at least two dry and sunny days for the stain to dry. Try and stain early in the morning so that the stain has the day to dry.
If you'd rather not DIY this task, contact a company that specializes in deck staining for assistance.
Share16 September 2016
