Tiger Wood Decking
|Tiger Wood Decking – Wood decks, if left towards the ravages of nature, can easily deteriorate from that clean, shining wood surface you so admired as soon as your deck was new to a dingy, gray, mildew and dry-rot infested eyesore. If the damage is usually towards the deck surface, quick relief is in route with the cleaning and resealing methods I recommend below. Before you begin, though, you need to have a look underneath to be sure dry rot hasn’t found its way in your deck.
Checking for Dry Rot and Making Repairs. Dry rot is a fungus that forms in moisture soaked wood, usually in places shaded from sunlight. Left untreated it will spread and destroy the integrity in the timbers, leading to structural failure. Seek against each other diligently. It will hide from you in locations that are hard to succeed in, often underneath the deck where boards and timbers meet. Use a screw driver or similar tool to jab at wood, looking for the tell-tale cardboard-like texture that offers little effectiveness against your probing. Don’t be fooled by painted boards that seem to be sound. Dry-rot can hide behind a layer of paint and become hard to notice before you probe. Badly damaged supporting timbers and deck boards need to be replaced. If the damage is just not severe you’ll be able to chip away the loose wood fibers and apply a fungicide product for example Bora Care or Shell-Guard. Many people report good success with using anti-freeze to help remedy the affected area. If a significant area of a timber is damaged, consider cutting out that part and replacing it having a tight-fitting plug that you simply epoxy into place. (Follow recommended safety guidelines whenever using epoxy.)
Cleaning the Deck Surface. Even after one particular season new decks, or even properly treated, can lose their original luster and turn a dingy gray. Ultraviolet rays will often be the culprit. Grime, mold and mildew could also detract from the appearance your deck. Before you start focus on the particular surface cleaning, make certain your deck has proper drainage. Clean the cracks between the surface boards having a pressure nozzle on your own garden hose. (As tempting as you possibly can, stay away from a pressure washer. Even if used judiciously the power in the spray can harm the soft fibers in the wood, giving your deck a grainy and fuzzy appearance.) Where stubborn grime remains within the cracks between the boards, work with a putty knife or saw blade to clear the best way for water to drain. This is especially important all-around a property where winter snow can trap water and make up a pool inches deep.
The next line of attack is to use an oxalic acid-based wood cleaner for example Wolman DeckBrite Wood Cleaner & Coating Prep or Armstrong’s Wood Cleaner. The oxygen bleach products usually do not contain chlorine and therefore are dependable around plants and animals. The main ingredient is bleach, sometimes in the liquid solution or even in dry form with soda ash. As the solution soaks into the wood, oxygen ions break up mildew, algae, and dirt.Another approach, if you are dealing mostly with mildew, is usually to you could make your own cleaning solution with 3 quarts water, one quart of oxygen bleach, plus a quarter cup of liquid dishwasher detergent. Use the ammonia free type. The oxygen bleach will eliminate the mildew as well as the detergent will aid in its removal. After allowing the cleaning solution to mean 10 to 15 minutes, scrub with floor having a medium-stiff brush, either with a pole being a push broom or recorded on hands and knees if you are much like me and also you want to put your muscle in your work. The final step is usually to rinse it clean having a garden hose.
Apply a Quality Deck Sealer. Allow your deck to dry before you apply any sealer or stain. Then go with a day when you’re confident that you simply won’t have rain for the following 24 to 2 days. You shouldn’t attempt to utilize stains or sealers over existing paint or stain because the sealer will not penetrate the wood. You can test this by sprinkling a little water on your own deck. If the water beads and is still on top after 15 minutes, you simply must go back and take off the current stain. When it comes to picking a sealant there are lots of items to consider. Natural oil sealants usually are not recommended because the oils turn deck green or black. Also the natural oils be food for algae and mildew. Most clear sealants will not provide much protection against UV ray damage.
Among the most effective option is pigmented sealants as it is the pigments that absorb UV rays and diminish the discoloration usually seen on wood decks. An epoxy sealant, for example DEFY Epoxy Fortified, has chemicals that both deflect sun rays and absorb harmful rays. It is a water based formula that comes in several colors for example natural pine, cedar, and redwood. Tinted finishes add color without hiding the natural wood grain, while semi-transparent stains increase the color, allowing some in the wood’s grain to show. The semi-transparent stains provide longer protection than tinted finishes. If you have grown sick and tired with cleaning and taking care of your wood deck every few years, you may be willing to consider another option-paint. A great choice, but tricky to utilize, is a new paint that is a mixture of water-based urethane and acrylic resins, for example the Sears Weatherbeater Ultra. The advantage is the coating can last for quite some time. Although decks can demand a great deal of maintenance to make sure they’re looking sharp, they also offer a lot of enjoyment.