3 Steps to Get you Deck Summer Ready

 As the gray days of winter drag on, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about the sunny spring days that are right around the corner and the time you are going to enjoy on your deck. As you start to clean up from winter and get ready for friends and family to come over, here are three steps to get your deck ready for summer.

Anatomy of a Deck

Let’s start with some basic anatomy of a deck. Your deck is connected to your house with a ledger board. The front is supported by concrete footers, posts, and beams. Joists support the decking and blocking helps to lock the structure together. Metal joist hangers, and other metal structural connections help to make your deck safe and are used to connect joists to ledgers, posts to footing, posts to beams, and beams to joists. Altogether, this assembly is referred to as the framing. Decking is attached to the framing with either face screws, or hidden fasteners that attach to grooves in the decking. Flashing and trim are added to keep water out of your house and to create a finished look. Now that you know more about your deck structure, let’s get it ready for spring.

Start by cleaning your deck. Remove any fallen leaves, needles, and moss. Cleaning your deck can prolong its lifespan and make your yard a more inviting space. First, sweep any loose debris off the deck. Then spray the deck surface down with water. I like to use a pressure washer on a low-pressure setting, but a garden hose with a good spray nozzle will work just as well. Try to remove any debris from between the deck boards. Leaf litter can trap moisture and lead to premature rot if not removed. You may need to use a putty knife or other thin object to remove gunk from any stubborn spots. If your deck still looks dirty, or you see moss or algae on the surface; it needs further cleaning. You can use soapy water, or a product like simple green diluted in water with a stiff nylon brush or scotch bright pad to remove any stubborn spots. If you plan on painting your deck, this would be a good time to use a TSP type cleaning agent. If you have a composite deck you may want to check with the manufacturer to make sure there aren’t cleaning agents that will damage or stain your decking. If you’re not sure, just stick to soap and water.

Once your deck is clean it is time to check your deck for signs of damage and wear. Dents and dings are normal, but if you have loose boards, soft or rotten spots, nails sticking up, or large cracks, you may want to consider replacing those boards. You’ll want to identify what kind of decking you have. If you know the contractor who built your deck, I recommend reaching out to find out what product and supplier they used. But if that’s not an option, there are some simple steps that can help you get the right product. Deck boards are most commonly 5 1/2” wide, but you may have 3 ½” wide deck boards as well. Decking comes in 4 standard thicknesses. Most composites decks are from 1 by material, actually ¾” thick. You may also have 5/4” material (1” thick), grooved cedar decking (sometimes call ProDeck), that is 1 ¼” thick, or full dimension 2 by 6 decking that is a 1 ½” thick. You’ll want to match the dimensions of your replacement deck boards with your existing deck to ensure a seamless repair. While most decks in SW Washington are Western Red Cedar, you may find that your deck is Port Orford Cedar, Redwood, Fir, Hardwood such as Ipe, or Tigerwood, or a composite material like Trex. Rick’s Fence and Deck, Shur-Way, and Lakeside Lumber can be great resources if you have unusual decking material.

Once you have acquired your replacement material, it’s time to remove the old deck boards. It’s great if you can get the screws out, but many times the heads are stripped out or full of gunk. In these cases, I like to pry the deck board up with a hammer, flat bar, or crowbar. Then, using vice grips or a metal cutting hack saw, cut or remove any protruding fasteners from the joist below. Next take measurements for your new boards. If you have a miter saw or circular saw at home that’s great, but if not, most lumber yards will cut your material to length. Generally, for about 25 cents per cut. Unless your decking has specialty grooves to accept hidden fasteners, you’ll want to face screw your new board with 3” Deck Screws. I prefer Torx Head (Star) screws because they are easier to set with a drill. Make sure to put at least two screws, about an inch from the edge, into each joist. At the end of the board, place you screws at least ¾” of an inch in from the end to avoid splitting the board. If you’re having trouble hitting the joist at the end of the board, try angling the screw. You want to get into the meat of the joist, not just the edge. Getting them angled can be tricky. If you’re having trouble, you can predrill with a twist bit slightly smaller than the screw (generally a 7/32” or 1/8” drill bit) or start the screw vertically and once the threads begin to grip move the fastener to the desired angle.

It may be standard that after 5-10 years 10%-20% of your deck boards need replacement, but if you notice that more than that is damaged, it may be time for all new decking. If you run into this situation, it’s time to check on the framing. If you notice portions of the deck are bouncy, have large dips or humps, you see cracked or split joists, or rusty hangers of any kind, it’s time for a full deck replacement. If you fancy yourself an avid DIYer and your deck is under 200 sq ft and less than 30” off the ground this may be a project you want to tackle yourself, but if not, it’s time to call in the professionals.

Now that you have your deck clean and repaired, it’s time to think about protecting it. Most wood decks need to be sealed every 1-3 years to maximize longevity, but with so many options on the market, it can be hard to know what to choose. There are three main categories of deck finishes: a natural oil, an exterior stain, or a flooring paint. Flooring paints are great on covered porches and concrete patios, but I prefer to see wood’s natural beauty and opt for oils and stains. Deck stains are very common and come in many variations between clear and solid. The more solid the finish, the longer they tend to last, but they also hide more of the wood. I don’t like anything darker than a semi solid and will generally choose a semi-transparent or transparent exterior stain. Exterior stains come in oil-based and water-based varieties. Water-based finishes are easier to work with but tend to be less durable than their oil-based companions, though the gap has closed in recent years. Unfortunately, exterior stains tend to flake off as they age and lose their effectiveness quickly. One of my new favorite finishes is Penofin, because it soaks into the material and leaves less of a film on the surface that can flake off. It’s a rosewood oil-based finish that unifies wood color and adds depth to your deck. As oil-based finishes go, Penofin is pretty easy. Penofin comes in many shades and formulations to fit your decking material.

If you find your deck a bit rough, a light sanding with 80-120 grit sandpaper can do wonders to reduce splinters and increases your enjoyment. You can get by with a bit of elbow grease, but you can get a random orbital sander for less than $50 bucks, and it will save an arm ache. When you pick up sandpaper, also make sure to pick up some dust masks. The fine particulate from sanding can be harmful when inhaled.

Whether you chose stain or oil, they all apply similarly. You can apply them with a brush, roller, or even a weed sprayer. I like a brush for small or vertical surfaces, and a roller or sprayer for large surfaces. Once applied let it sit for approximately 20 minutes before wiping away any excess stain with a clean rag. Any puddles left behind will not cure properly and will remain sticky after the finish cures. I like disposable shoe covers when I have to walk on a wet deck stain. With oil-based finishes, I prefer disposable foam brushes that I don’t have to deal with cleaning, but you can clean oil-based finishes with solvents such as mineral spirits. Make sure to dispose of oil-soaked rags and brushes properly. Many oil-based finishes can spontaneously combust. You can place them in a sealed metal container or spread them out to dry and then dispose of them at your local hazardous waste facility.

Congratulations, your deck is finished and ready for a summer of fun.

If at any point you run into an issue that you’re not sure how to solve, or the project just becomes too much for you to take on, I would be happy to answer questions and give professional advice. You can see more of my work and reach out to me at 503Building.com and Pacificmood.com.

About the Author

I’m Sam Farber. I’m 20 years old and I’ve been renovating homes and building furniture since 2019. Building custom furniture and reimagining homes is my passion and I’m happy to be sharing it with you.