Imagine yourself holding a cup of hot coffee while gasping the cold morning air in your house deck or patio. Nothing beats a warm cup of coffee or chocolate and a buttered toast for a breakfast at the patio. Your deck offers an outdoor extension to your house space where family and friends can relax and be entertained. You can host weekend barbecues or holiday dinners in your decks when you do not have enough kitchen space.
However, your decks can easily sustain damage due to constant exposure to weather elements such as rain, snow, and sun. This is the reason why it is important to have your patios and decks regular maintenance. Regular maintenance protects your deck’s structural integrity and improves its lifespan.
Why Do You Need Regular Maintenance?
Your deck is no stranger to outdoor extremities and elements that can damage its structural integrity. Painting or staining your decks regularly can protect itself from harmful moisture and heat of the sun that can damage the woodworks. Painting can also help reduce cracking, cupping, warping, and splintering. It also reduces the possibility for mildew and mould build-up which can be harmful to your family’s health.
How To Paint Your Deck and Patio?
Repainting your deck can be a complicated process. It will take some time to finish repainting the deck especially if it needs a thorough prepping. This is why it is best to hire a professional painting service to do the work for you. Earl’s Paintworks, Inc. is equipped with the necessary tools, advanced skills, and years of experience to do the work right.
Step 1: Washing
Regardless of if it is newly installed, you need to start by washing the deck. The deck needs to be clean before applying paint. There are deck-cleaning products that are used to wash off the dirt and stains. Deck cleaners can wash off the grime, debris, and dirt. For non-painted decks, brighteners can help remove stains that build up over time. It is best to avoid the use of strong power washers that can chip chunks of wood out of the decking.
Step 2: Repairing
It is crucial to check around the deck and look for a damaged surface that needs repair such as woods, metal, or stucco. You can apply putty or epoxy for cracks and holes on concrete or wood using a spackle knife.
Step 3: Scraping and Sanding
Peeling old paints need to be sanded off. It is also best to sand rough surfaces to achieve a good finish. You can start by using a wire brush that removes the loose paint. You can also use scrapers, which are similar to a putty knife, to remove loose paint chips. You need to be careful not to scrape the wood with the blade. Finally, you can start sanding the decking to remove all the leftover paint and to smoothen the painting surface. This also flattens the uneven edges and corners of the woodwork.
Step 4: Painting
After sanding the deck, you can start applying painter’s tape to adjacent parts of the deck. You can start applying paint using a paint roller. This speeds the process and delivers a consistent coat of paint. When painting railings and other restricted spots, you can use different sizes of paintbrushes that will fit your need. It is crucial to cover the underside of the deck if you can reach it. This will help prevent moisture that can damage the woodwork of your deck.
If you are looking for professional exterior painting services, Earl’s Paintworks, Inc. is right here to help you with your exterior deck painting work anywhere in Calgary.
