Top 5 Tips to Make Your Deck Last Longer

The average cost of a new deck in 2016 is expected to be at $6,918, and homeadvisor.com expects the majority of new deck construction to be between 200-500 square feet. Knowing this, a homeowner is already committed to diving into a costly project, so it’s important to take measures upfront to try to extend the deck’s life.

Syndicated home improvement and woodworking columnist, Steve Maxwell, shared these tips on making a deck last longer.

Most deck stains fail in a year.

Most deck stains don’t last nearly as long as you’d expect. Deck stain durability has been trending upward, but it’s still not universally excellent. Even with a good deck stain on your side, new lumber is almost certain to cause that stain to fail prematurely without proper preparation, and old lumber can be just as bad. The best way to prepare a surface for maximum finish life is pressure washing, followed by sanding with a 60- to 80-grit abrasive.

Pressure-treated wood is safe, but tricky.

About 10 years ago, the lumber industry voluntarily stopped using arsenic-based preservative chemicals in the pressure-treated lumber they sold, and now the active ingredient is copper. And while pressure-treated lumber is a safe and economical way to build a deck, this kind of wood is also much more corrosive to screws, nails and metal fasteners than plain wood or the old arsenic-preserved lumber.

So it’s important that the deck fasteners are made of stainless steel, hot-dipped galvanized steel or fasteners rated especially for contact with ACQ (alkaline copper quaternary) lumber.

Deck design affects deck life.

How a deck is put together can mean the difference between a 15-year working life and a 40-year life using the same kind of lumber. It all boils down to how quickly a deck can dry out internally after heavy rains, or the spring meltdown.

Unfortunately, most decks are built with large, unventilated areas of wood in direct contact with each other, which holds moisture and encourages rot in a big way. Build decks with ventilation spaces that allow air to circulate, and they’ll last much longer.

Exotic deck lumber still turns grey.

You can spend big money on fancy deck lumber, but without care it still turns grey and weathered. Exotic lumber is usually harder than standard, pressure-treated lumber, and it often has a more prominent grain. Just realize that it’s going to take work to keep that rich, brown surface looking like more than an old barn.

Synthetic decking is better than most people think.

Deck lumber made of plastic or plastic and wood fiber blends does cost more than the cheapest deck lumber, but it never needs finishing. You’re essentially buying building material and all the deck stain and labor at once.

For a flawless finish, turn to the hidden fasteners in the InvisiDeck^® Hidden SCRAIL^® Deck Fastening System. This deck fastening system creates a completely smooth finish with no visible fasteners. Designed to be used with grooved boards, it can be adapted for use in non-grooved hardwood or composite materials with the use of BECK's groove cutter.

The clips and SCRAIL^® are installed under the deck's surface, and hold tight without being seen. Watch our video for more information.