Many things about the winter actually protect your deck from the kind of beating it gets in the summer. There isn’t the same exposure to the beating sun (in fact, when it snows the deck actually gets a welcome break from the sun altogether), and there isn’t as much human traffic on the deck, which is another leading cause of wear. Your deck gets to lie dormant for a season, just like the deciduous trees who lose their leaves – a welcome break. But what does get to your deck in the winter is that very dormancy. Planters, lawn furniture, grills – they all sit out there unmoving all season long, as the snow and rain comes and goes, creating stains on the deck’s surface. The extreme cold temperatures, combined with the moisture of snowmelt, can also cause warping or splintering in an unsealed deck, due to the freeze/thaw cycle.
When the earth turns and it starts to get warm, you may start getting the urge to spend time on your deck again. You might want to pull the tarp off the grill and brush the gunk out of the corners of your deck furniture, and rearrange the planters (and maybe have peek at what’s inside them, now that landscaping season has begun anew). You also might want to consider pressure-washing your deck, and possibly even re-staining and sealing it in anticipation of spring rains and summer sun.
The difference in a deck before and after a pressure-washing job is vivid. Unlike any other method of deck cleaning, pressure-washing actually penetrates into the outer layers of the decking, removing contaminants that have entered the wood’s pores. Since wood is a porous, absorbent substance, cleaning methods that only reach the surface are not going to reach most of the contaminants accumulated over the winter, and are therefore not going to successfully make the deck look cleaner. A pressure-washer (also known as a power-washer) uses water, and sometimes also a light detergent, forced out of a narrow nozzle at high pressure to penetrate deeply into the wood’s pores. The mechanical force of the pressure digs into the wood, removing anything lodged there, and the continuous spray of water washes it harmlessly away. Most pressure washers have adjustable nozzles that allow you to vary both the pressure and the volume of water, so that you can maximize the effect of your power-washer.
Power-washing your deck for the spring is a good way to make it an enticing place to hang out. You can hire a service like Blue Door Painters to come take care of it for you, or do it yourself, renting a power-washer from a local hardware store or Home Depot. Once your deck is clean, you might also want to consider staining and sealing it in anticipation of the spring and summer. Staining and sealing protects the wood of your deck from sun, rain, and even the scuffing of human traffic – all of which, now that you have made it such a great place to hang out, it can expect to look forward to in the coming warm months. It can also make your deck glow, extending that good-as-new look you get right after your deck is pressure-washed. A good deck is a strong asset to any exterior; make sure to give yours the love and TLC that it truly deserves.