HOW TO MAINTAIN OUTDOOR WOOD FLOORING
hardwoodfloorscharlotte.com
WOODEN OUTDOOR STRUCTURES Wooden outdoor structures and furniture are beautiful items for your outdoor areas. Indeed, decks and outdoor wooden stairs create a cozy environment and attractive outdoor lifestyle. However, the effect of climate and weather elements can be aggressive factors that destroy wood, and you will need to choose the best timber to prevent rot, fade, and further damage.
WOOD Since wood is a natural hygroscopic substance, it expands and contracts to depend on the environmental moisture level. Even indoors, hardwood floors and wooden furniture are subjected to dimensional changes as long as temperature highs and lows. And outdoors offer more extreme conditions because of harsh moisture and temperature changes.
GARDEN DECKING PROBLEMS
First, because decks are outdoor structures, they are permanently exposed to the elements, and over time they experience damage to the surface and structural deterioration. On the other hand, since decks are subjected to heavy use, they tend to be slippery, stained, faded, and dirty.
SUN EXPOSURE
For example, a color change is an unavoidable fact; however, you can treat the UV-related fading by applying specialized products such as Oxalic that reverse chemical damage caused by sun exposure and moisture. Although you can let outdoor timber fade, you can bring back the wood’s beautiful color and sheen by chemical treatment.
CLEANING OUTDOOR WOOD FLOORING
Although most outdoor hardwood floors are made from string and resistant timber, you can clean them with a decking cleaner. Specialized products are effective in cleaning dirt and getting rid of mold, algae, and fungi.
GAPS Outdoor floors can present holes or gaps because of natural shrinking and expansion. Regarding this, applying quality filling products is an excellent solution to fix this problem. Application methods vary according to the manufacturer’s instructions. However, these products are not suitable for filling wide gaps. Notwithstanding, if you have decking, try to spacing out the boards to make it safer. Otherwise, it can cause water puddles on the floor and slippery surfaces when wet. On the other hand, decking floors need gaps because the expansion may remove the screws and nails used to install them, making the structure unsafe.
h a r d w o o d f l o o r s c h a r l o t t e . c o m