New Look for Your Old Deck

The hot summer sun has was hard on Austin decks. The New York Times, in a June article in the Sunday Home section, had tips on how to improve our neglected decks. Danny Lipford, host of the TV show, Today's Homeowner, said that every deck should be cleaned once a year. Below are instructions from the article:

-Apply a deck detergent with a garden-style sprayer, saturating the deck completely
-Let the detergent set for 10-15 minutes to loosen the dirt
-Apply a brightener
-Use a stiff brush or pressure washer (very carefully) to clean off all the dirt
-Allow the deck to dry for 2-3 days
-Apply stain or sealant. If you use a stain first, allow it ot dry before applying the sealer.
-Apply two coats of sealer on consecutive days

Consumer Reports, which you can access through the Library's Masterfile database, rated deck stains and sealers in the July 2008 issue. To find this article and other articles in Consumer Reports:

Click the yellow Database rectangle under "Highlights" on the Library's homepage. Select "Articles and News" under Subject Guide on the right-hand side. Select Masterfile Premiere and enter your Library card number.

1. Type stains in the search box.
2. Type Consumer Reports in the publication box.
3. Limit to full text search by clicking on the box.
4. Click on Search.

The Library also has two dvds on desk restoration produced by Today's Homeowner.

Deck Renewal
Deck Rehab