Should You Regularly Use a Power Washer on a Wood Deck or Composite Deck?

Are you overwhelmed by the dirt and grime that accumulate on your deck? Has a mysterious gunk on the deck’s surface started to ruin your outdoor space’s once-beautiful appearance? You might be tempted to resolve the issue by taking a power washer to your deck and aggressively spraying it down. If that's you, put down the sprayer and walk away. Power washers can actually do more harm than good for most deck materials.

Best Methods to Remove Snow and Ice from Your Deck

Winter is coming to the DMV. Some eagerly await the winter, dreaming of warm nights spent curled up by the fire and crisp weekend days frittered away sledding down snowy slopes with the kids. Others dread the year's coldest season, dwelling instead on the frigid mornings spent scraping ice from car windshields and shoveling snow from walkways.

As a deck owner, it is in your best interest to care for your wood or composite decking material just as you would your cherished luxury import or front sidewalk. Unlike those objects, however, a low-maintenance deck installation is actually likely to incur damage if you try to fend off Mother Nature without taking the necessary precautions.

After making its appearance on the market more than 45 years ago, composite decking quickly became one of the most popular alternative decking products among builders for its durability and low maintenance.

Composite decking is made from a mix of natural wood waste and other materials, such as virgin or recycled plastic. Because of its design, it requires minimal cleaning and resists checking and splintering, but it wasn’t without its problems.

How to get your deck ready for spring after a harsh winter

Deck owners rejoice! After a long Maryland winter full of ice, snow, cold, and freezing rain, decks everywhere are primed to be reclaimed from mother nature. While there was little that could be done to help our outdoor living spaces in recent months, rising temperatures and increasingly-present sunshine are ready to join your quest to reverse the havoc caused by foregone seasonal elements.

Before the winter comes, you want to ensure your deck is protected from the elements, especially the moisture that comes with increased rain and snow. That being said, under no circumstance should you ever seal a pressure-treated deck when the temperature gets below 50 degrees.