Following a harsh winter season, decks can endure all kind of weathering. From rusting to stains general weathering can happen to all parts of the deck. To ensure youโre getting the most out of your outdoor space and investment in your deck or patio build, you should refresh your space at the start of the season.
Use these tips to refresh your outdoor space, and inspire you to enjoy your space with friends and family this season.
Wood Restoration
Due to changing levels of humidity and prolonged moisture, your deck can experience cracking and splitting. Along with scrapes, scratches, and watermarks, damage to wood throughout can be restored by following this 6 step process:
- Scrape or sand off the loose finish
- Scrub the surface to reduce damaged areas to bare wood
- Apply cleaner
- Power wash your deck. You can buy or rent a power washer from your local hardware store.
- Apply several coats of finish to allow the grain to absorb it and provide you a lustrous finish.
Learn more about this process here.
Watch How: For even more info on cleaning, renewing, and sealing a wooden deck, and how to tackle this project over a day, watch this YouTube video.
Steel & Metal Restoration
Steel can endure wear throughout the winter season, though it isnโt as easily restored. It is best to take preventative measures and choose products made from quality materials that have undergone processes that prevent this from happening.
At Nuvo, we take pride in offering top-quality, heavy-gauge, steel thatโs galvanized and e-coated to prevent rust and last through harsh weather conditions. To learn more about our e-coating process, click here.
Here are some tips for metal accents on your deck:
- Clean the surface of the steel well with soap and water once a year.
- If rust has started, purchase rust remover and apply it to dissolve the affected area.
- Click here to learn about DIY rust removal options to try out.
- If your steel has sustained scrapes and scratches, or you have cleaned rust from the item, you should then conceal and protect it using a rust paint
- Many manufacturers offer touch-up paint you can purchase to match the products finish.
Plastic Restoration
Plastic can change in colour over time due to harsh UV rays. We suggest following along with this YouTube video for a cheap and easy way to restore sun-faded plastic items such as patio furniture. We do not suggest this on any plastic pieces that are part of the structure of your deck it railing as you don’t want to do anything to effect the integrity of these pieces.
Don’t have a heat gun? Or want to give your plastic items a whole new look? Watch this video for another way to refresh plastic patio furniture.
Upgrade Accessories
An outdoor space can also be refreshed with swapping or adding a couple of the right accessories. You can replace old post caps with a new style, check out different post cap options here, or protect posts with base covers to help prevent scratches and scrapes.
Depending on your budget for the season, you can also choose a couple standard items to upgrade like outdoor pillows, a new rug, or potted plants. For more inspiration on how to spruce up your deck for the season, click here.
