DIY Network

Repair and Clean Deck Summer home maintenance deck tips From "Home Maintenance" episode DHMW-102

In this first segment host Tim Hockenberry shares tips on checking, repairing and cleaning your deck.

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Figure A

Clean and Repair Deck

Materials:

Screwdriver
Hammer
Garden hose
Socket wrench
Deck cleaner
Push broom
Plastic sheet or tarp
Rubber gloves
Scrub brush

The extreme temperatures of summer can be brutal on your home's exterior. It's the perfect time to focus on outdoor chores.

• A year's worth of debris can collect in between the floorboards of your deck. You need to clear these areas or water could get trapped there and rot the floorboards, or worse, the joists that support them.

• Sweep off the deck surface.

• Use a screwdriver to clear the areas between the floorboards of your deck.

• Check for water damage, splintered areas and rotten boards that may need to be replaced; and hammer in any loose or protruding nails.

• For decks that have rails it is important to periodically check the rails to make sure that they are tight to the deck.

• Check where the deck is attached to the house. Tighten the bolts that hold the deck to the house.

• The first thing you need to do is prepare your work area. When dealing with cleaning chemicals it is a good idea to cover adjacent plants or bushes to protect them. It is also wise to wear rubber gloves to protect your skin. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for preparing the cleaning solution.

• Lightly dampen the area you want to start with. If you have an adjustable nozzle on your hose put it on the mist setting.

• Prepare your cleaning solution. Once you have brushed down a layer of the solution use a hard bristle brush and some elbow grease to really remove the grime (figure A).

• Rinse the area at the highest setting for several minutes to make sure you remove all the cleaning solution.

• Repeat this procedure over the entire deck surface.

• For the tougher spots you might need to add a little more cleaner, and scour it a second time.

• Once dry, apply a deck sealer following the manufacturer's instructions. In a few hours, you will see a surface you might not have seen in years.

Deck Sealer

There are several techniques you can use to apply a deck sealer. When in doubt, follow the instructions written on the container.

Applying the sealer with a brush gives you the greatest control for the most even application and will ensure that you get the sealer not only on the deck boards but in-between the boards as well. The downside? It takes a long time.

Rolling on the sealant with a paint roller is faster, but you have much less control. You might have to go over it a couple of times to get everything coated.

You can even use a garden sprayer to apply the sealant. No fuss, no muss! It's the quickest and cleanest way to get sealer down on the main surface deck, but it offers the least control for application in those hard to reach areas. Remember to cover nearby foliage to protect them getting sprayed with sealant.

Whatever technique you decide to use, sealing your deck is absolutely essential!

DIY Home Maintenance Seasonal Checklist "Take Care of Your House and It Will Take Care of You!"...and you can start by printing out DIY's PDF checklist file.

In the next segment Tim shares tips on maintaining your home's siding and crawlspaces.