Winter is well and truly here, which means you can bet that we’ll see lots of heavy rain over the next few weeks and months… which is great for the garden, of course, but it can take its toll on your wooden decking areas if you’re not careful.
Wood will always be a popular material for decking as it looks lovely and inviting, but it is perhaps less durable than other options like tile or stone, so it’s important that you know how best to protect it so it stands the test of time and doesn’t rot or warp over the years.
Even stone or tile can cause problems, however, since they’re also porous can can absorb water, which means they can crack – so make sure you know how to look after these materials, as well.
When dealing specifically with wood, your best line of defence is staining the wood to help protect it from whatever the weather has to throw at it.
Make sure you pick a dry spell in which to stain, since the product needs time to soak into the wood and afford it the appropriate level of protection. Always check the forecast and give yourself at least 72 hours for the stain to soak in and work at its best.
Waterproofing your deck at least once a year can help ensure that it continues to serve you well over the year, but you can check to see if it’s time to do some work on it by dropping some water onto the surface of the wood to see if it soaks in. If the answer is yes, then you may want to consider resealing it sooner rather than later.
For help with decking in Wirral and the surrounding areas, get in touch with LW Landscapes today.