As a homeowner, at one time or another you will be required to do some normal home upkeep. One of these hated jobs is dealing with a deck that needs to be re-sealed. Depending on the size of your deck and the design of the railing, this can be a very daunting job. It can be hard to know where to start.

Discoloration happens on decks for a number of reasons, they could be sun bleached, water stained, or molded. If your deck boards are discolored you may wish to begin by bleaching them. You can choose from a number of environmentally friendly deck bleaches like oxalic acid. Make sure you use personal protection no matter what product you decide you use and follow the manufacturers directions.

Make sure to allow your deck 24 hours to dry after bleaching. @@AMAZONTEXT;B002JFT5C8;Acrylic based deck stain@@ is a great option to add richness to your wood, giving it a dramatic color depending on the stain. Depending on your taste you can choose from a subtle to a bold color. Most stains contain a UV protectant now days to help extend the life of your deck.

There are a variety of ways you can apply your stain. The old reliable way is using a brush and using a bit of elbow grease to apply the stain. A @@AMAZONTEXT;B000DZGQOG;Deckmate finishing pad@@ is another great option which is more automatic, and people find it to be an easier route. A pump sprayer can also be helpful for rails.

You may have to apply multiple layers of stain depending on how deep in color you wish your wood to go. You will want to add @@AMAZONTEXT;B002610TB6;transparent sealant@@ after you have given the stain a chance to dry.

This is the icing on the cake, so to speak. This will protect your wood from the water that tends to sit on decks. You can easily determine if you deck needs to be stained if you don’t see “beads” of water on your deck after rain.

Even though it can be a pain to stain, the investment is well worth it. It is far cheaper to do the upkeep on the deck then to have to make a deck again from scratch.

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