Restoring a wood deck or fence requires experience

Dear Contractors.com,

With the warmer weather coming I’m thinking about fixing up my backyard, including restoring the deck and wood fence. They seem ok structurally, but it’s mainly their appearance that needs work. What’s involved? Is this something I can handle myself?

– D.F., Alexandria, VA

To restore the appearance of the deck and fence, you’ll need to pressure-wash the entire wood surface, then 2-3 days later apply a premium sealant. The sealant adds natural oils to protect the wood against the environment’s harsh, destructive nature, and will last about 5 years.

Now, can you handle this yourself? That depends on your experience.

Pressure washing will clean the wood surface and remove years of dirt, mildew and sun bleaching to restore it to its natural new appearance, but the wood can be damaged if it’s not done properly.

“I’ve come across a lot of do-it-yourselfers that have destroyed their decks with the high pressure water. They splintered and ripped up the surface,” recounts Eric Peterson, owner of Peterson Services.

“What commonly happens is the homeowner buys or rents a pressure-washing machine and experiments on their $10,000 deck or fence, thinking it’s easy. Well it’s not, and more often than not the damage is permanent,” explains Peterson, who’s been in business for 13 years and has worked on embassies in DC and other high-profile locations.

Other common mistakes include homeowners or amateurs spraying stain all over the deck in puddles or completely missing areas, leaving the deck or fence partially protected. Not only does it look bad, it’s also permanent – and the deck or wood surface is almost impossible to blend to look even.

“Spraying a sealant or stain is not easy. I get a lot of calls from distressed homeowners about stain on the siding from over-spray. That mistake can cost thousands of dollars, to replace siding,” warns Peterson, whose company services the entire metro area including Montgomery County, MD and northern Virginia.

If you’re inexperienced and not particularly handy, leave it to the professionals. But be sure to research your contractors before hiring them, including getting references and reading reviews online.