What Does Your Deck Need this Spring?
May has started, spring is underway in the D.C. area, and it's time to get your house ready for this summer. Your deck would be a great place to start. The deck might not seem very important, but what about those wonderful summer days where you get to sit outside and read a good book? It's not quite so pleasant when the deck is growing mildew or mold. Or the times that you're having the neighbors over for a barbecue? It's less enjoyable if your deck is ugly and faded (especially if they just had theirs redone!).
Even if you aren’t too concerned about how your deck looks, if the waterproofing wears off or it grows mildew, your deck will start deteriorating fast. So, how do you know if your deck needs spring cleaning, painting, staining, or waterproofing?
How Do I Know If I Should Clean My Deck?
If your deck is discolored, growing mildew, or just generally dirty, that's a sure sign that you deck needs to be cleaned. You might be wondering whether you can pressure wash your deck on your own. Well, it is possible, but it might not save as much money as you think. Unless you own a pressure washer (and most of us don’t), you’ll need to rent one, making the DIY option less attractive. Also, doing the pressure washing yourself can be dangerous to you and your deck. Working with that high pressure could leave permanent scoring and dents in your deck.
Should I Paint or Stain My Deck?
It is always nice to get a fresh look, and re-staining or repainting your deck is a great way to do that. But also, if your paint starts to peel or crack, the wood will be able to absorb water, resulting in your deck beginning to rot. For this reason, you will want to repaint or waterproof your deck before it starts peeling.
Do I Need to Waterproof My Deck?
If your deck is painted and the paint is in good shape, you don't need to add waterproofing. However, a stained deck is not necessarily waterproof, even if the stain was added recently. Many stains soak into the wood to give it color, but they don't have any wood-preserving properties.
To see if your deck needs to be waterproofed, you can drip water onto it. If the water beads up and sits on the surface, your deck is good. However, if the drop absorbs quickly then you need to seal your deck.
Deck Pressure-Washing and Painting in Northern Virginia
Williams Professional Painting is a high-quality painting contractor that serves the Northern Virginia and the DC region. Here are a few reasons to choose Williams Professional Painting:
- Ease - with one phone call you can hire a painting company that can clean, paint/stain, and waterproof your deck.
- Peace of mind - Williams Professional Painting will make sure that the job gets done completely (no more decks growing mildew or dry rotting when you thought they were sealed), and without any risk to you or your deck.
- The result - when our Pro's are done with your deck it, will be beautiful, fresh and clean. You can now invite over the neighbors (your deck is better than theirs!).
Please feel free to call us at (703) 768-8143 if you have any questions or go online to schedule a free estimate today.
