Deck Cleaning & Maintenance Guide

Whether you went all out and had an exotic hardwood deck built for your home or you went with standard pressure treated lumber, deck cleaning and maintenance are a part of ownership. This is one investment that you want to take care of regularly with the proper cleaning and maintenance methods.

If you are new to deck owning, you may need a few pointers on how to properly take care of it. Our Atlanta deck refinishing and pressure washing pros at Decked Out want to help you out with this basic guide to caring for your wooden deck.

Algae Problems

Here in Atlanta, decks are often covered in algae due to our climate. If your climate has a lot of humidity, you know what algae, moss, and lichen can do to the surface. These organisms use the deck for food, so it's important to keep them off the surface if you expect your deck to last. Standard pressure washing will remove algae, moss, and lichen. You can also treat the deck surface with an algaecide to prevent regrowth for several moths at a time.

Deck Cleaning

Deck cleaning is an ongoing process of removing debris and washing the surface. The area you live in and your particular property will determine how often you need to clean your deck.

In general, deck cleaning can be done anytime with pressure washing at least once per year. However, some decks needs to be pressure washed every season, especially when in climates like ours. If you get help from a deck cleaning company, be sure they know what they are doing or your deck surface will suffer damage.

Deck Sealing

Deck sealing will need to be done many times over the time you own your deck. While this may seem like a hassle, deck sealing is the only way to protect the surface unless it's painted. Make sure that only a good quality deck sealant is used or you will find yourself redoing the work every year. Professionals like us here in Atlanta are worth the small investment because our methods and products last many years and the work is done right.

Deck Refinishing

The surface of a deck needs to be restored when it's weathered beyond cleaning and resealing. Most often, you'll need to ask a deck refinishing professional if it's time to do the complete restoration process. Be sure to choose a deck refinishing company you can trust to give you an honest answer so you don't pay for unnecessary work. Many times, we find that decks here in Atlanta only need to be pressure washed and resealed.