Weatherproofing Decks

by Allison Thomspson

It does not matter whether the climate you live in is hard winters or it's temperate, by weatherproofing your decking you make sure that it lasts longer and looks beautiful.

By taking a little time to make sure that your decking is properly protected really does make sense and getting started on weatherproofing the decking does not take much time either. All it requires is a minimum amount of materials and a lot of elbow grease (hard graft on your part). Firstly you should seal the deck for weatherproofing when it is first built and then again every few years to ensure that the wood continues to stay in the same condition.

Gathering the materials

It is preferable if you gather together all the materials you require for weatherproofing before you start the work, and it would be sensible to check the weather report as well. Certainly carrying out the work on a day when it is likely to rain is not the most suitable of plans. But if you find that everything checks out then get your materials together and start.

The materials that you will need to get the job done quickly and efficiently are a dust mask, a hose, safety glasses, a bucket of water with deck cleaner included in it, a belt sander and some sand paper, waterproofing staining sealer a paintbrush and a broom. If you want you can use a paint sprayer (you can either hire one or purchase one) and this will help to cut down the amount of time it takes to complete the task.

Preparation

You have your materials to hand the first thing you need to do is complete clean the deck, ensuring that you have cleaned out all the cracks and corners. If you should find any rough spots on the wood, then use the sander or sandpaper to smooth these down and always make sure you carefully remove any sawdust that is there with a broom. But please do not forget to put on your dust mask and safety glasses whilst carrying out any sanding works, although sawdust might not cause a major problem as you are only exposed to it for a short amount of time, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Then once the deck has been fully prepped you can move on to sealing it. However, please make sure that the deck is dry and all surface areas are clean, smooth and ready to go. So going over again for luck will not be a bad thing to do.

Applying the seal

Now you are going to apply the weatherproofing seal, but before you do ensure that you have read the manufacturer's instructions fully and if you intend to apply a coat of paint after sealing the deck then make sure that it will work with a paint undercoat.

You have the choice of applying the sealant with either a paintbrush or sprayer but make sure that you cover the entire deck and this means you will need to pay close attention to the beams, railings and wall supports if any are present. Then upon completion allow the deck to dry fully as per the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

You don't want to find that after spending a week or two building your deck that you have to wait yet more time before you can enjoy it. But by making sure that it has dried completely will ensure that the work you have carried out will provide you with many years of enjoyment, it may well be only a few hours or even a day that you have to wait before you really to start to feel the benefits of the decking, but isn't better that it will stay as beautiful as the day it was first installed.

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