Get Your Outdoor Deck Ready For Company

A wood deck is a wonderful place to spend a sunny afternoon, but that wood takes a beating from the weather, so from time to time it needs a little TLC. Rain, snow and the beating sun not only make a deck dirty, they can also break down the wood fibers. And changes in temperature make the wood continually expand and contract, leading to cracks. What it needs is a little protection, in the form of a deck sealer or stain/sealer combination. Before you apply it though, you’ll need to clean the wood with stiff scrub brush and some detergent. If you have access to a pressure washer that speeds the job up, but be careful not to gouge the wood. When the deck is dry you can apply the sealer with a roller or pump up garden sprayer and then work it into the gaps and cracks with a paint brush. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.