Guest Author - Dale Yelich

There are few things more relaxing than a warm summers day, birds chirping, the smell of cut grass in the air, laying out in a chair on a deck. I am dreaming about that now, bare feet, shorts, and just smiling with the breeze tickling my face.

Many years ago, my buddy bought his first house, and attached to the rear of it was this huge deck. We spent many a day out there, playing chess, watching the birds come to his feeders, and absolutely enjoying the enchantment that a deck can bring.

Nights were better, what with all the barbeques, the good friends, and the good times. Made of pressure treated pine, it was a gigantic rectangular affair with 3 foot railings along the sides, and even railings going up the stairs.

The problem was, the first time I was there, I was running my hand over a railing and got a nasty sliver jammed into my palm. Ouch! I ran to my car, got out the sandpaper, and took care of that rough spot and all of the others.

Well, me being me, which means always thinking improvements, I decided that every spring on one of the first warm days, we would get together for some good food, good conversation, and good maintenance. We’d fire up the grill, and with some 100 grit sandpaper in hand, I would do my usual check of the deck.

Essentially I would lightly pull the sandpaper over the railings, smoothing them out a bit while taming any slivers that tried to show themselves. He’d cook and we’d talk while I went all around the top sanding on both sides.

Next it was the shoe test, as I would slide my feet over virtually the entire surface, and if I ran into a protruding nail head, I would bring my hammer out and give it a good bang. Now, if your deck has been made with screws, you probably won’t have to worry about this, although they do sometimes turn themselves out a little bit. If that happens, just turn them back in.

By the end of the barbeque and as he took the food inside just before serving, I would get out a paint roller with a container, and fill it up with my favorite water sealer. A Thompsons, Wolman or Valspar water sealer comes to mind, and I would fill the roller container, saturate the roller, and roll it on. Just make sure that when any sealer is applied, the wood becomes completely soaked. Don't skimp, slather that stuff on good.

If any deck is made with non-treated wood, this step is an absolute must, and make sure the supporting timbers are coated as well. Even pressure treated wood should have this done, because although treated wood won’t rot from moisture, it will crack and splinter if moisture penetrates the pores during freezing and thawing cycles.

15 to 20 minutes later, and with dusk falling, the food was ready, I was starving, and the deck was ready for another year of timeless memories.