Winter is about to be a distant memory, so it’s time to start thinking about spending more time outside. That means it’s time for a little spring cleaning.
If you’d rather not think about doing the inside of your home, why not start with the outside? Your backyard is likely in need of a little TLC, especially your deck.
The first step to spring cleaning your deck is to remove all the furniture. Don’t just push everything to the side, you’ll want to see the entire surface to inspect for damage. It’s hard to do that with a table, chairs, barbecue, and whatnot in the way.
Once your deck is clear, take the time to really look for any damage. What type of material your deck is made from will determine what to look for. If you’ve got a wood deck, look for rot, insect damage, bird or rodent holes. A concrete patio can have cracks, improper slope, and shifting. An engineered material deck can have tears, rust on any hardware, and cracks. All decks can have algae and moss.
If things look good, it’s time to move on to the actual cleaning. First, wet the surface with a garden hose or a pressure washer. If you’re using a pressure washer, make sure the pressure is no higher than 150 psi, because you don’t want to cause any damage as you’re trying to preserve the surface. We also highly recommend keeping the pressure washer’s nozzle about 15 cm away from the deck and to spray at a slight angle. Also, make sure to keep continuously moving the nozzle while spraying, or else you could create small tracks in your deck.
Once the deck is good and soaked, scrub the surface with a non-abrasive, biodegradable cleaner and water, using a stiff-bristled brush. If you need to get rid of any algae or mold, use a bleach solution and some good hard scrubbing.
Once you’re done scrubbing, do a good rinse of the deck to make sure any cleaner is washed away. After the deck is all clean and dry, you can put all your furniture and barbecue back and take a well-deserved break.
Once your deck is ready for the springtime, you can continue getting the rest of your outdoor space ready, like trimming back any branches, cleaning out the gutters, and filling any cracks.
Once the snow is all melted and the temperature has warmed up, give your lawn a mow on the highest setting—tall grass has stronger roots, so don’t hack it down super low to begin with.
Follow these tips and you’ll be good to go for another patio season.
