With the nights drawing in and the leaves starting to drop, the likelihood is that you’re looking at your deck and planning to clear it and prepare it for winter. Irrespective of whether you have deck furniture or an abundance of pots on your deck, it’s highly likely that your intention is to pack them away to save them from the harsh weather that could be lurking ahead. Either way, do make sure that when you’re removing heavy items on your deck that you take care not to inadvertently cause damage.
Once you’ve moved all the items on your deck, you’ll probably find that you have a significant amount of muck and mold staining sitting on the surface that needs to be removed. Here’s our three-step approach:
It’s important to brush and clear away all debris and then rinse your deck with a garden hose. This will give you a clear view of your deck, enabling you to assess the seriousness of the task ahead. Once you’ve cleared away the loose dirt and debris, something you’re likely to see is a build up of mold or green algae. Before preparing your deck for the winter ahead, it’s important to remove the mold.
Mold, or green algae is a pretty much unavoidable frustration when you have a deck, but the good news is that it can be removed without too much difficulty. Here’s what you need to do. The easiest option is to buy a pre-mixed algae removing solution from your decking supplier. Before applying it, you need to sweep your deck thoroughly with a stiff brush, getting right into any hidden corners. If you haven’t done so already, you should hose down your deck and allow it to dry. At this point you can apply the algae removing solution according to the manufacturers instructions and give it time to react. Once the product has done it’s job, you can hose or sweep it away, removing the algae in the process.
Once you’ve cleared your deck of algae, you’re sure to have a reasonably clean surface, which is ready to oil or reseal with a weatherproof finish. However, before doing so, it’s well worth taking this opportunity to have a close look at every board of your decking to check its condition. Now is a great time to make sure you secure any wobbly boards, replace or repair any split boards, or sand away any splinters.
Decking oil is a great way of protecting your wood, while letting its true beauty shine through. Oiling will also help your hardwood stand up to the weather thrown at it during the winter months. The important thing with decking oil is choosing the right product for your deck; so don’t be afraid to ask the advice of your decking supplier if you’re in doubt, or doing this for the first time.
So, your deck is now clear of algae and is freshly oiled and weather sealed, but don’t forget, if we get a load of snow…don’t use a metal shovel to remove it because it could seriously damage your deck!