Outdoor spaces evolve. Plants grow. Gardens fill in. Interlocking paths and patios, and decks and fences get a wonderful aged patina that, for the most part, improve the look of your outdoor space.

But, there is a difference between the natural aging of your garden and landscaping and wear and tear caused by usage and exposure to the elements. After a substantial investment in your landscaping it is important to do a little ongoing maintenance to ensure your landscaping continues to look great for years to come.

Maintaining your deck will keep it looking great
There are two reasons to maintain your deck:

1. aesthetics—keep it looking great 
2. durability—keep it free from rot and mildew etc. that can shorten the life of your deck

In Toronto, your deck has to withstand extreme temperature and weather: snow, sun, rain, etc. There are a number of alternatives when it comes to protecting your deck but if your deck isn't brand new you will have to clean it first. This involves scraping away any loose stain or paint, scrubbing the wood to clean it from dirt and mildew, cleaning and power washing the deck and finally staining or sealing it. Treatments range from clear sealing products that will allow the natural beauty of the wood to show through to semi-transparent stains to completely opaque paints. Ask your local outdoor products supplier about products that have UV inhibitors and mildew protection. Some products are also more environmentally safe than others so, if that's a concern, be sure to ask about that too. 

Applying a stain or sealer can be done with a roller, brush, and/or sprayer. The key is to get effective coverage so choose the tool that will serve you best.

A little ongoing maintenance can go a long way to ensure that your deck will continue to look great. If you've skipped the maintenance for a while there's still a pretty good chance you can revitalize your deck and make it look great once again.

This video from You Tube and courtesy of Lowe's give's a short overview of the process.*

Additional Resources

Lowe's Deck Maintenance Buying Guide

Home Depot—cleaning your deck

*This not to be construed as an endorsement of any specific company or its products.

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Summers in Toronto are precious. After thawing out from our annual deep freeze we love to get outdoors. If it's March 3 and the mercury shows 13° we head out in our shorts and tees—restaurants and cafes dust off their patio chairs and we join the annual migration back out into the fresh air. Yes, we are a little nuts about summer in this part of the world. We cherish the return of the sun in a way few might understand who hail from warmer climes.

At home, that means heading out to the back deck, getting the barbecue cleaned up and fired up, spicing up the burgers, and supping on our favorite beer.

If you don’t as yet have a deck, have a look at some of the great decks* shown below. Can’t you almost hear the sizzle of the barbecue, smell the fresh mown lawn and feel the warm breeze on your face?

Summer’s** back at last. Hooray! 

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