If you have a wood deck you know that deck care and maintenance are crucial to the appearance and integrity of the wood. Knowing when to stain your deck is important. Too many people let time slip by and before they know they have neglected their deck. Whether it is every year or every other year, make it a point to stain your deck in the spring. Spring is the time of year for all kinds of outdoor projects. From lawn care to landscape maintenance spring is the season for sprucing things up. Make your deck care part of that routine and you will never neglect your deck again.
Spring is a great time because the air temperatures are usually perfect for staining. Most deck stains, like TWP 100 should not be applied in temperatures cooler than 50 degrees or hotter than 90 degrees. It should never be applied in the heat of the day in direct sunlight as this can jeopardize the performance of the stain. Spring may be rainier than other seasons but with a little planning, it can be done. Normally all you need is a 2-3 day window of dry weather to stain your deck in the spring.
When it comes to cleaning your deck, some people might feel tempted to pull out some bleach from the garage and get started. Stop! Before you do this, you need to make sure that you are very careful. Chlorine bleach does an excellent job of killing bacteria and viruses but has not been proven effective in killing molds on porous surfaces. It also destroys the lignin in your wood deck, disrupting the way it is bonded together. The wood will become more prone to aging to an unattractive gray color and splintering along the surface. When it comes to chlorine bleach, think of it as a sanitizer, not a deck cleaner. It should stay in areas of the house such as the kitchen, on the counter, or in the bathroom cleaning surfaces there.