Protecting Your Deck From Water Damage

Waterproofing your deck that you worked so hard to pay for or to build is something that most homeowners need to do to keep their deck in good condition over the years. It will likely be used extensively and you want to keep it looking as good and as structurally sound as possible. Mold and rotting can occur to decks that are not properly waterproofed, so the deck’s structural integrity is also under scrutiny. Water from a pool or rain or snow can cause the water damage to your deck that you are trying to avoid, so applying a water sealant to the deck will help prevent all of this.

Waterproofing a new deck is not very different from waterproofing one that already exists on a property, but you should wait at least 30 days before you do, because the chemicals in the wood the deck was built with will need time to evaporate and the wood will need time to adjust to its new environment. After you have waited a month, you can start waterproofing the deck.

Clean off the entire deck and remove all furniture. It should be made completely bare and free of all debris, including leaves, sticks, pool toys, and etcetera. You can purchase a cleaner for the deck from most department stores. Follow the directions and apply it with a pump sprayer. When it starts foaming up, get a brush with stiff bristles and start scrubbing the surface of the deck firmly. This will not only remove all the dirt and other buildup from the deck, but also help to remove stains such as grease. After you are done, rinse all of the foam off with your garden hose or a few buckets of water. When you are doing this, you should be wearing eye protection.

Applying the sealant will be done with a roller or a pump sprayer and if there are any puddles of the sealant on the deck, you will have to roll them out so that the sealant coats the deck evenly.

Drilling a few small holes in your deck where water collects can also help further waterproof it. This will let the water drain off of the deck in these areas. They can be as big or as small as you want them to be, although 3/16 of an inch is about the smallest you can get that will allow for a decent amount of drainage.

Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood water damage restoration chicago and other states such as
New Jersey mold remediation contractor companies across the united states.