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By taking a little time to make sure that your
decking is properly protected really does make
sense and getting started on weatherproofing the
decking does not take much time either. All it
requires is a minimum amount of materials and a
lot of elbow grease (hard graft on your part).
Firstly you should seal the deck for
weatherproofing when it is first built and then
again every few years to ensure that the wood
continues to stay in the same condition.
It is preferable if you gather together all the
materials you require for weatherproofing before
you start the work, and it would be sensible to
check the weather report as well. Certainly
carrying out the work on a day when it is likely
to rain is not the most suitable of plans. But
if you find that everything checks out then get
your materials together and start.
The materials that you will need to get the job
done quickly and efficiently are a dust mask, a
hose, safety glasses, a bucket of water with
deck cleaner included in it, a belt sander and
some sand paper, waterproofing staining sealer a
paintbrush and a broom. If you want you can use
a paint sprayer (you can either hire one or
purchase one) and this will help to cut down the
amount of time it takes to complete the task.
You have your materials to hand the first thing
you need to do is complete clean the deck,
ensuring that you have cleaned out all the
cracks and corners. If you should find any rough
spots on the wood, then use the sander or
sandpaper to smooth these down and always make
sure you carefully remove any sawdust that is
there with a broom. But please do not forget to
put on your dust mask and safety glasses whilst
carrying out any sanding works, although sawdust
might not cause a major problem as you are only
exposed to it for a short amount of time, it is
better to be safe than sorry.
Then once the deck has been fully prepped you
can move on to sealing it. However, please make
sure that the deck is dry and all surface areas
are clean, smooth and ready to go. So going over
again for luck will not be a bad thing to do.
Now you are going to apply the weatherproofing
seal, but before you do ensure that you have
read the manufacturer’s instructions fully and
if you intend to apply a coat of paint after
sealing the deck then make sure that it will
work with a paint undercoat.
You have the choice of applying the sealant with
either a paintbrush or sprayer but make sure
that you cover the entire deck and this means
you will need to pay close attention to the
beams, railings and wall supports if any are
present. Then upon completion allow the deck to
dry fully as per the instructions provided by
the manufacturer.
You don’t want to find
that after spending a week or two building your
deck that you have to wait yet more time before
you can enjoy it. But by making sure that it has
dried completely will ensure that the work you
have carried out will provide you with many
years of enjoyment, it may well be only a few
hours or even a day that you have to wait before
you really to start to feel the benefits of the
decking, but isn’t better that it will stay as
beautiful as the day it was first installed. |
