Refurbishing a Deck

Q: Our deck is looking pretty worn, how can we restore it?

A: First you must assess whether you are dealing with weathered or rotten wood. Probe suspect areas with a screwdriver. If you can push it well into (or through) the decking, that decking needs to be replaced. If that’s just a board or two, the structure of your deck is likely OK. If the lots of decking is rotten it’s quite possible that the structure under the deck is also compromised. I’d have a reputable contractor check it out.

Once suspect wood is replaced, apply a deck cleaning product and pressure rinse it off. Give it a few days to dry out and then stain the deck. A solid stain will give your deck a uniform color if you have a mix if old and new wood. Stain will also seal, protect and beautify your deck.