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A Wood Deck For Your Home

There's just something about wood. By its very nature, it has a friendliness and hospitality about it, which surely goes back to it being one of our first building materials in the earliest days of human development.

In this vein, wood decks naturally bring beauty and warmth to your home. Enjoyed by all your friends and family, a wood deck creates an outdoor room, thus bringing the indoors out into the open and expanding your living space.

Design Ideas

Wood decks enhance the landscapes of most homes, but in particular, they work well with these types of gardens:

 Modern landscape design. This style uses dramatic geometric shapes, easily personified in wood planks, to create a point of view that is fluid and natural. Horizontal and vertical planes can manufacture a modern sculpture effect while colors and plantings evoke a warm, welcoming feel. Water and light are often used, as in artfully-lit outdoor water fountains, to enhance the visual feast. It is the juxtaposition of soft and hard, linear and non-linear, free-flowing and restrained that defines modern landscape design

 Japanese garden design. In this tradition, the garden is a microcosm of nature, thus a wooden deck fits in perfectly. It can play off nicely against fences and gates, other elements important to Japanese gardens with their underlying philosophy of enclosure. The fence seals us away from the outside world, the gate is the threshold from which we enter the retreat and leave for the outside world, and the wood deck connects us to our natural selves.

 English garden design. The English garden design is the essence of an informal garden and a deck made of wood feeds that informality. Colors and textures in profuse wildness draw visitors in and create a feast for the mind's eye. Because plants are chosen out of personal preference and a strong mix of color is used in this style, wood decks make for a pleasing backdrop.

Urban landscaping

 An urban yard or garden usually comes with big challenges, like the blank wall of a neighboring townhouse or a space that is all straight lines and right angles. As with all landscape architecture, the goal with urban landscaping is to create spaces in which the home and architectural elements have a relationship with its natural setting. Wooden decks fit neatly into this relationship.

Material Choices

When choosing wood for your decking, pressure-treated pine is the most popular material choice. Many people choose treated pine because it stands up well to weather and damp soil, two of the most common problems we face in the Houston area.

However, redwood and cedar have resins that naturally protect them from weathering and rotting, too. Cedar is also popular because it possesses dimensional stability and a natural resistance to decay. These woods generally lie flat, stay straight, retain fasteners and provide a firm base for many types of stains and paints.

Maintenance and Ongoing Care

Mother Nature is hard on wooden decks-moisture and the ultraviolet rays of the sun are the two biggest enemies. It goes without saying that the weather found here in the Gulf Coast region is particularly hard on wood decks.

For regular cleaning, the wood can be cleaned with a special cleaner, which will most likely take care of the gray mildew. For especially stubborn stains, use a small amount of household bleach diluted with water to kill the mildew. Whatever cleaning agent is used, be sure to rinse thoroughly.

Wooden decks need to be protected every two years or so. A penetrating, clear wood finish or stain should do the trick. It is also a good idea to regularly check for protruding nail heads, something that happens with temperature changes which makes wood expand and contract. You will also want to look for any rotten areas, especially on stairs and railings. These services can be included in landscape maintenance contracts with landscape service companies.

(ArticlesBase SC #821329)

Cleaning Wood Decks - Tips And Tricks for Zapping Stubborn Grime

Cleaning wood decks isn't always the most fun thing to do, but let's face it - every couple of years, it just has to be done. Plus, by cleaning wood decks really thoroughly once every year or two, it will be so much easier to keep the surfaces sparkling clean and looking great the rest of the time. When it's time for cleaning wood decking, try these tips and tricks to zap right through even the most stubborn grime.

Cleaning Wood Decks The Green Way

One of the insider tricks of the trade when it comes to wood deck cleaning is the use of really powerful oxygen based cleaning solutions. Now this does require a good degree of hand scrubbing, but these cleaning solutions are formulated especially for cleaning wood decking and do a really good job at the task. As powerful as they are when it comes to fighting mildew, dirt, and grime, they are still as gentle as can be to the delicate surface of the deck's wood. And there's another bonus to using oxygen cleaners - because they clean with oxygen instead of harsh chemicals, they're much more friendly on the environment.

Gently Pressure Wash The Grime Away

Using a pressure washer to complete the job of cleaning wood decks definitely does the trick. A powerful stream of pressurized water and air cuts right through practically any kind of dirt in the way. The only problem is that sometimes pressure washing a wooden deck cuts through the dirt and then digs in and tears up the wood too. If cleaning wood decking with a pressure washer, be as gentle as possible to keep this kind of damage from happening.

Get Through All The Grit By Sanding It

Sometimes cleaning wood decking takes something more powerful than the other options normally prescribed. When nothing else seems to work, using sandpaper to precisely remove the top layer of wood will bring new life to the deck. Save the elbow grease and use a good belt sander with a medium-light grit sandpaper. The finished surface will be as clean and smooth as new! If there's a pitfall to this method of cleaning wood decks, it's that each time the deck is sanded, there's a little bit less of the deck left. Use sparingly.

Cleaning wood decks is a chore for sure, but it doesn't have to be as bad as it's all cracked up to be. Just use these pointers and the grime will be gone in a flash. Plus, once the major cleaning is done and out of the way, regular cleaning is practically a breeze (or the stroke of a broom for that matter)!

(ArticlesBase SC #513499)

Better Wood Decks

There are a lot of people out there that are looking to get some home improvement work done. Some of these people are looking to do it themselves, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, when it comes to getting wood decks made, the professionals are where you need to go to. The professionals are not simply guys that are going to make your deck at an inflated price, they are going to make sure the deck you purchase is going to be made and installed with the top quality workmanship that only a professional would do for you. Yes, some people can do it themselves, however, a do it yourself project does not compare at all to a professional grade private, custom deck. Those decks will also last the test of time, the weather and so much more.

Do not buy into the home improvement shows, or the commercials that you are seeing online. These commercials are good overall, but they are not telling you the whole picture. They are trying to push something forward that will have you calling the professionals after the fact. If you work behind a desk and think you can simply jump into the construction world and be a big time player, without getting into trouble, you’re going to be poorly disappointed. If you own a home and want to make sure you get one of those wood decks that you see in some nicer films these days, you need to call a professional. The professional deck builders are not only going to give you an estimate, they are going to demystify what you need to do to take care of your deck for years to come.

You are going to love your wood decks. You are going to also save because professional deck builders can build your deck using wood that they get directly from the source. They get their products and supplies at a discount that the average person cannot get. They will not cheat you, or swindle you; they will build you a custom deck with all the bells and whistles that you crave, like hand railing on the deck, composite deck, wooden pool deck, above ground pool decks, deck bench, hot tub decks, you name it they can build it.

If you are enjoying your friends and families wood decks, you are going to love having your own. If you own a home or plan on owning a home in the near future, you are going to want to get a good deck to hang out with your friends and family as well. Do not be afraid of the possibilities, and do not fear the world around you. We might live in an internet age, but there are some that have spent their time learning the trade of building decks, and they will do a far better job than you and your friends could ever do in your life. You are going to be surprised at how easy it is to get wood decks built in your backyard, or wherever you are planning on having them built.

(ArticlesBase SC #1202741)

Key Steps to Staining Wood Decks

Wood decks are a backyard institution, but they need proper care. One of the most important steps you can take to keep your wood deck looking great is staining. Staining can be costly, so you'll want to take some steps to make sure that your staining job is up to par. From choosing deck cleaners to applying the stain, there are a few key points to remember so your deck looks like it's been professionally stained.

First, it's important to prepare your deck with a proper cleaning. Deck cleaning takes a full day and can be the difference between an amateur- or professional-looking stain. Find out what type of deck cleaner you need. Different types of stains require different chemicals, so assess the damage before purchasing deck cleaners. Whether you have basic debris, old paint or severe discoloration, you'll want to make sure the deck cleaners you use will do the job.

Make sure you rinse the deck well after you use cleaning solutions. Even the seemingly harmless chemicals can resurface to wreak havoc on your deck after it's been stained. Rinse the cleaning solution off well and let the deck dry thoroughly before applying the stain.

It's a great idea to use a brightener before staining. Brighteners make the wood more porous, enabling better staining. They also help neutralize any chemicals left over from the cleaning process. They are easy to apply since they are just "spray-and-leave" products.

When choosing your staining product, remember that there are a couple of different types. Traditional oil-based products are considered to be more durable, but water-based stains are improving. Water-based stains also have no solvents to pollute the air and are much easier to clean up than oil-based products. Many of these products are synthetic, making them resistant to mold and mildew.

Always follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully and don't overdo it. Since many staining products are semi-transparent, it pays to be conservative when staining. Too much product may look great at first, but will quickly peel off and cause a terrible mess. The natural look and grain of the wood should show through the stain.

Make sure you have both a roller and a paintbrush handy. The roller is great for covering large surfaces, but a good paintbrush will enable you to make the stain perfect. When using the brush on handrails, be careful that you don't drip stain onto the deck below. This causes dark spots to appear on an otherwise perfect wood deck.

Take your time when staining wood decks. This is the one factor that will make or break the job. Even though the whole process may take a while, the end result will be worth it if you take your time. Every step of the way, check your wood deck to see if you're satisfied. If you're not happy with the deck cleaning after one pass, work in small sections and clean it again. Maintaining a wood deck requires a few days of hard work, but a beautiful finish on a clean deck is something to cherish.

(ArticlesBase SC #442183)