Mar 09 2009
Wooden Decks
In case you haven’t noticed, cedar decks are very popular in St. Louis homes, particularly in those located in Southwest St. Louis or West St. Louis. That’s because the majority of homes are built on a hillside with walk out basements and your only option to enjoy the outdoors from the main floor is a deck. While showing numerous properties to several different buyers lately, we have all noticed the lack of attention given to the deck. I would venture to guess that only 1 in every 10 homes we visited actually maintained their deck. I’m wondering if the other homeowners in St. Louis County don’t know that annual maintenance is required on a deck, or don’t have the money, or time, or both, to do it. In an article from Tim Carter, Nationally Syndicated Newspaper Columnist for Ask The Builder, he writes that deck maintenance is an annual event and recommends you stay away from pressure washers which can hurt the wood. Instead use an Oxygen Bleach, not the same as household bleach, and a special epoxy sealer to keep out the UV rays and protect your wood. For more detailed information, click on his article and then get started. Don’t let your dried-out, sun beaten deck be the expensive negotiating point for the buyer to lowball you someday. http://www.askthebuilder.com/617_Deck_Cleaning_and_Sealing.shtml.