Take a shine to wood decks

TTHERE are more than 30 million I decks in the U.S.and they aren't getting any younger. Dealers can do their part by offering the right cleaning and finishing products. With proper care, a wood deck can last 20 years or longer and a neglected deck can look beautiful again.

"It's not maintenance-free to put wood outside," said deck designer John Breiling. "When you spend $10 to $12 per sq. ft. of deck, you want to care for your wood. It's an investment in what you've already spent."

Unless the deck is brand new. the surface must be cleaned prior to finishing. Picking the right deck cleaner-to get rid of dirt, mold, or stains-means the job gets done without damaging the wood. To remove tannin streaks or the gray caused by weathering, a wood restorer and brightener is a good choice.

"Deck care is a very personal thing. I go out every year and spend about 30 minutes cleaning it," said Sam Williams, a chemist who studies deck coatings and wood weathering at the Forests Products Laboratory in Madison, Wi.

After the deck is dry and clean, it's time to choose a finish: clear, semitransparent, or solid color. A big part of the decision, said Williams, is personal choice. "I look at a weathered deck and think 'Gray is beautiful'."

said Williams, so he applies a clear. penetrating stain.

A clear finish is the most popular choice for newer rvoods. because it allorvs almost all of the rvood grain to shorv through. Some clear finishes are made rvith natural-color tones like cedar or redwood. to add a little pigment while still enhancing the rvood's grain. Others contain transparent iron oxide particles that block the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Semi-transparent stains add extra color and allow rvood grain to shorv through, while the pigment particles physically block the sun's damaging UV rays.

Solid color stain covers wood grain and coloring, but allows the rvood texture to be prominent. It can give decks dramatic long-lasting color without the maintenance problems associated with paint.

Each type of finish has its orvn advantages, but the best finishes look good, repel water yet allow the rvood to dry. and limit sun damage. On average, a clear stain must be reapplied every 12 to l8 months. Most semi-transparent and tinted stains last three to four years. As rvith anything else. the quality of the finish determines horv long it will perform.

To help contractors and consumers choose the best colors and finishes.

Sikkens Decorative Coatinss has begun selling sample cans of its exterior rvood products. For easy use, the 4-oz. sample cans have an application brush built into the lid. The stains can be brushed onto an extra piece of rvood or the underside of a deck to see the color. coverage and finish the coating provides.

Sikkens' Kelly Wanen said. "Product samples rvill help builders and buyers choose exactly the right shade and finish for each wood surface."

The company is also offering a $ l0.000 deck makeover for "America's Ugliest Deck." Homeorvners have until June 30th to submit a 75-to-1O0-rvord essay about why they should rvin and a photo of their ugly deck. The rvinner rvill be chosen by visitors rvho view the photos and cast their votes on the company's contest Web site, rvrvrv.ugliestdeck.com.