Preparing Your Deck for Spring

By Sophia Christou, 04/17/18

As patio weather fast approaches, you may be tempted to pull out the patio furniture and enjoy your time in the sun. However, if you spent your hard-earned cash on a beautiful Ipe deck, Batu deck or Cumaru deck, you're going to want to remove stains, dirt, and grime to reap the full benefits of this beautiful wood.

1) Power wash properly.
If power washing, use a fan tip at a suitable distance from the deck, and wash along the grain of the board so as not to damage the wood.

2) Clean the gaps in between the deck boards.
Any organic matter left to decay may cause discolouration, premature rot, warping or twisting. This is especially true for softer woods like pine.

3) Apply the right re-finishing to your deck.
To get a deep and rich colour in your deck, apply a finishing. We suggest using ExoShield Exterior Wood Tung Oil Finish.

ExoShield offers superior protection for exterior wood applications such as decking, siding and furniture. Our secret formula protects your project while allowing the natural beauty of the wood to remain the focus. Using a proprietary blend of Tung Oil, Fungicide, and Trans-oxide pigments, the exclusive ExoShield formula provides long-lasting penetrative protection for exterior wood applications while using only the finest components. The Tung Oil used in ExoShield Deck Finish contributes to provide a naturally water-resistant, acid-resistant, and easy to use deck finish. It also greatly reduces the chances of boards either cracking or warping when correctly applied.

Fungicide is an essential component to maintaining the timeless beauty of your exterior wood project. ExoShield Wood Stain not only offers protection from harmful UV rays and water damage, but it also includes a fungicide in the formula that will keep your decking, siding or outdoor furniture in top shape, and fungi free. This is just another reason why ExoShield is the answer for all exterior wood applications. We use trans-oxide pigments and UV blockers in ExoShield to protect your deck from harmful UV rays, adding to the longevity of the structure and color. The pigments used in ExoShield Deck Finish will bring out and protect the natural colors of the wood it's used on, providing a long-lasting vivid result. ExoShield will lengthen the lifespan of the wood's color, delaying the graying process. When applied every one to two years, your deck will maintain a nearly brand-new appearance, with very little maintenance. For high density hardwoods such as Ipe, Cumaru & Batu, you should expect to get 600 to 800 SF of coverage per gallon.

4) Properly apply the deck finishing.
Applying our ExoShield oil-based wood stain has been made easy for any user. Whether it be a homeowner or a contractor, anyone can correctly apply ExoShield.

Preparation. In order to correctly apply ExoShield wood finish, the first step is obtaining a very clean and smooth surface. Be sure to scrub the wood thoroughly removing all grime, dust, and any mildew that may exist. Standard consumer grade exterior wood cleaners are available from both Messmer's and Deckwise. They are a combination of Sodium Percarbonate / Sodium Carbonate Peroxyhydrate and Soda Ash / Sodium Carbonate - when mixed with water, the cleaning solution can be applied to the wood's surface with a garden chemical sprayer. After soaking in for 5-10 minutes, the material should be thoroughly scrubbed with a stiff-bristle broom or brush and then rinsed thoroughly. It may take a two to three applications in order to remove several years worth of dirt and mildew, and fully restore the original color of the natural wood.

Many species of high density hardwood contain a high degree of tannins and tannic acid. These hardwoods include Ipe, Cumaru and Batu, as well as many others. As the final step before treatment with ExoShield, we recommend that a wood brightener is applied. Standard consumer grade wood brighteners are also available from both Messmer's and Deckwise. The brightener comes in powdered form again and consists of Oxalic Acid / Oxalic Acid Dihydrate. After applying the cleaner and or brightener, be sure to let the wood dry out completely which will usually take 2-3 days.

Even when finishing fresh wood, a completely dry surface is required. Do not finish your wood project with ExoShield unless you have had a minimum of 2-3 days of dry weather and do not expect rain within 24-48 hours. If the wood's surface does get wet soon after finishing, you will likely get water spots on the surface which must be sanded out prior to a light refinishing with ExoShield. After finishing, you should avoid contact with the wood's surface for at least 48 hours. ExoShield will take up to two weeks to fully cure to its final hardness. Many projects require some degree of sanding especially if they have aged more than a few years. In addition, if there are areas that have been badly weather-beaten or contain loose fibers, a light sanding using 80-100 grit sandpaper is necessary to smooth out the surface and remove unwanted blemishes.

For more information on ExoShield or to find out how to purchase a gallon for your deck, please visit us at https://www.novausawood.com/exoshield.

By Sophia Christou, 04/17/18

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