Pick the build type first, then square the layout, set footings or blocks that will not move, flash the ledger right, and frame it level before the boards go down.
Browsing: Decks, Fences & Patios
Practical guides for cleaning, maintaining, repairing, and protecting decks, fences, patios, and other outdoor living surfaces.
Rot starts where a deck stays wet. This seasonal routine keeps it dry: a spring screwdriver test, summer airflow, fall gap clearing, and gentle winter snow care.
A gas fire table on a proper heat barrier is the realistic deck option. An open wood bowl on bare boards is not. Clearances, mats, Solo Stove rules, and safer options explained.
Clean, repair, sand only where needed, test the color, then brush thin coats with the grain and back-brush every section. Two or three boards at a time, and no furniture until the finish cures.
Sweep, read the stain, scrub with the grain, rinse well, and let the boards dry fully. A pressure washer is optional, and on soft or older wood, hand scrubbing is often the safer choice.
Most wood decks last 15 to 25 years, but the species sets only the ceiling. Upkeep, exposure, and build quality decide where your deck lands, and the boards usually wear out years before the frame does.
If you are set on paint, a premium acrylic porch-and-floor paint is the pick. But on a bare, exposed deck, stain usually ages better. This guide sorts out which finish your deck actually deserves.
A pro deck cleaning usually costs $100 to $250. Here is what actually moves the quote: size, material, method, condition, railings, pricing model, location, repairs, and what comes after.
A green fence is usually algae feeding on damp shade, sometimes mildew or the copper tint in new pressure-treated wood. Five lookalikes, three quick tests, and the prevention habits that keep the green off.
How often should you stain a wood deck? Every 2-3 years for most decks, plus the simple water test that tells you when it is really time.