Aesthetics: Clearly the outside of your home is a great source of pride. Having a manicured lawn and beautiful, clean deck allow for a great outdoor living experience. Entertaining, cook outs with family and friends on clean, protected surfaces create joyful memories that last for years to come. The best way you can protect your deck is power wash cleaning and professionally applied protection products.

I prefer to use a large brush or a mop. You want to get large amounts of Stain Solver liquid on the deck surface. Hand pump sprayers often apply too little solution to the surface. If you must use a sprayer, make sure the product has dissolved completely or you will clog the nozzle! Also, be sure you spray on lots of liquid.

That depends on our climate. Decks in the direct sunlight tend to fade and dry out; decks in humid and shady areas grow algae and fungus spores. Both problems require attention yearly, or no later than two seasons apart.

We need a minimum 50 degree temperature to safely let deck preservative products cure and dry properly.

When you're looking for a painted-kind-of-look to match you home exterior, or when the deck has been totally neglected, solid stains hide and conceal any cosmetic imperfections that the lumber may have.

There are products which are available upon request to wash and seal in one day. However, we choose a two-day method: Wash on the first day, and sand and seal the second dry day.

Ans: The insulating additive will help keep the deck cooler while providing a slightly slip resistant surface.

All of our products are high end. Certain products will do better then others depending on your particular environment or type of wood that you have. If you came to our store looking for a certain brand name then we would suggest sticking with that. Please email us if you have any questions and we will be more then happy to suggest a certain brand depending on your situation.

That's an opinion call, but if you do, you will have to do it again every year. We recommend letting it grey naturally and washing it 2 or 3 times/year with Sunlight dishwashing soap to keep it clean and pollution-free.

Creative Wood Products has their own private label stain called Deck Gold. Deck Gold is an oil based semi-transparent sealer and stain in one. It is a unique blend of resin, pigment oil, mildewcide and UV protectors that penetrate deeply into the wood to protect and preserve it. Deck Gold can be used on all types of wood except Redwood. We also carry Superdeck Products, Superdeck is a natural oil, transparent stain designed to maintain the beauty of your wood.

You should certainly protect your deck from unnecessary moisture intrusion and the harmful effects of the sun's ultra-violet rays. Use of a penetrating stain, containing water repellant ingredients in most cases will protect your deck best. The pigment in the stain will absorb the ultra-violet rays from the sun and protect the wood fibers from degradation. In most cases a stain will need maintenance every 2-4 years while clear sealers require maintenance every 1-2 years.

This mainly will depend on the weather. On average a Pressure Treated Pine deck can be sealed in approximately 45-60 days from installation. A Cedar or Redwood deck can be sealed within 21 days. If you have a fair amount of rain you will need extra time for drying the wood out. Essentially you are making sure you don't seal in any moisture as this will promote rotting from the inside out.

This primarily comes into play if your deck is well above ground (4' or higher). The answer is no. The reason you are sealing your deck is to prevent the sun from aging the wood and more importantly, to prevent rain from rotting your deck. Since the understructure never receives any real sunlight and gravity dictates that water will not stay on the underside, it is not necessary to seal that.

Yes. If you elect not to seal your deck it will age prematurely and will not last as long as a properly maintained deck. A properly maintained deck in our climate should last 30 years. for what type of sealer, we highly recommend to use cost as an indicator. There are definitely reasons why a gallon of Brand X costs $15.00 while Brand Y costs $40.00. Lower cost doesn't necessarily mean better value but it definitely could mean lower performance.

We recommend you let your deck dry for a minimum of four weeks after construction of your deck before we apply a penetrating sealer. The problem with new wood is that the grains are closed and the wood still contains natural chemicals called tannins and mill glaze. If left to nature, it would take 3-6 months for the grain to open and the natural chemicals to leach out. By using a combination of powerwashing and mill glaze remover, we can speed up this process.

Most sealers need a minimum of 4-8 hours to dry, although this can vary depending on the weather and the condition of your deck. If it rains soon after we apply the sealer, look for water spots. These are lighter discolorations on the wood similar to water marks left on fine furniture. If your deck has water spots, please contact us immediately to have the sealer re-applied.

The length of the process can vary widely due to project type, size, prep work, location, and weather. However, most standard staining projects are completed in 3-4 days.

If using a semi-transparent stain, like DEFY, apply only as much stain as the wood can easily absorb and take care to brush out any puddles that may form. If you put enough stain on to form a gloss on the surface, it has been over applied and will, more than likely, in time, peel. The Spring and Fall certainly offer the easiest conditions to work in.