Expert Deck Sealing in Chicago

Sealing wooden decks helps protect it from weathering to last longer without needing costly repairs or renovations. Deck sealing also improves the appearance of your wood by restoring and enhancing its natural color & luster. Here we'll cover the benefits of deck sealing, how it works, and why you should consider it to protect your deck.

Deck sealing is the simple, affordable way to protect your deck and property from decay and rot. It's the process of applying a product or sealer to the wood to protect it from damaging weather elements. Wood deck sealing products include wood stains, wood oils, varnishes, lacquer, polyurethane, and many others with wood-preserving properties. When properly used, these products will extend the life of your exterior wooden structures, such as deck boards, porches, wooden siding, outdoor playsets, and others.

As experts in deck sealing in chicago, we use and recommend deck sealers made for outdoor applications and formulated for specific climate conditions for decks, porches, siding, and wood fences. The sealer needs to have an adequate UV and moisture protection rating for your area. Make sure you find the one engineered for your local weather conditions.

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Many customers ask us how often they should seal/reseal their decks and other wooden structures. This primarily depends on two factors; how old the deck is and when it was last sealed.

New Decks

If you just built a new deck or porch, you might have an urge to seal it as soon as possible. But beware, the preservatives in the new decking boards require somewhere from 3 to 6 months dwell time before they're ready to be sealed. So be patient and wait at least a few months.
Another factor to keep in mind is woods moisture level. Wet boards won't evenly absorb the sealant and will cause an irregular look and premature fading of the sealed surface. We measure the moisture level of the wood on every sealing or staining job and only seal dry boards.

Older Decks

On older decks that were sealed before, there are two ways to tell it's time to reseal it. Pour some water on your deck; if the water beads up on the surface, then your deck is still in good shape. On the other hand, if the water gets absorbed into the wood, it's time to look for a wood deck sealing company. Visual inspection is another way to tell your deck could use a fresh coat of sealant. If the color is fading or deck boards are turning gray, those are the tell-tale signs that your deck will have to be resealed soon.
As a rule of thumb, we recommend resealing the deck every 2 to 4 years, depending on the product that was used. For verticle surfaces such as wooden siding or fence, it's about 4 to 6 years.

With so many different wood sealing products on the market these days, it can be hard to choose the right one for your project. It also requires knowledge and skill to get it done correctly and make it last. That is why we strongly recommend hiring your local deck sealing company for the job.

Contact Deck Docs, the top Chicago deck sealing company, specializing in outdoor wood preservation. We've been in business since 2000 and have served thousands of satisfied customers.