In today's article I thought I would discuss some ideas on pressure treated decks. I know that there are many pressure treated decks and porches in the Bowling Green area. They are so beautiful when they are new, but after they are exposed to the elements for a few years, if they aren't properly sealed, they start to look a little dingy.
There a few different ways that you can address this common problem. The easiest is to spray the pressure treated wood with a deck wash, that can be purchased at your local building supply store. Follow the directions for use and then spray everything off with an ordinary garden hose or a pressure washer.
I have found a link to a homemade deck wash, if you try this it will be at your own risk, because I have never personally tried this. I have used ordinary laundry bleach diluted with water, and it worked very well, but again you may want to read the label for any warnings such as human or animal exposure. In other words, don't do anything that can harm you.
Pressure treated wood that's exposed to direct sunlight, I've noticed over the years, takes a lot harder hit than wood that is under a roof. The sun seems to dry out and crack the wood really fast, and the color just never looks the same again. When your treated lumber is new, wait a few days, or until it is dried out really well. Remember that in direct sunlight the drying time is accelerated and can be sealed even sooner than wood under a roof. Get a coat of a good sealer on your wood before the color changes too much.
If you like, you can even use a deck stain to change the color of your deck. At your building company, you can find many different colors of of deck stain. A lot of times they will allow you to bring in a piece of wood, and they will stain sample spots on your wood so you can decide on a color before you spend the money to purchase it.
If you have any comments or suggestions feel free to contact me, and thanks for reading.
Homemade deck cleaning link http://www.unterzuber.com/deck.html
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