Site Deck Maintenance

 

Michigan site deck, 2024

There will always be some maintenance to perform and it has been a few years since the deck staining in 2019. This is a wooden deck. To get long life, I prefer to periodically give it a deep cleaning and every few years a new application of deck stain.  This was the year.  My life has devolved into various experiences, and that includes a variety of maintenance and chores.  Quite a change from a time when I actually made a difference.  I do relegate some of this to others.  There is no shortage of handymen and contractors to do everything and anything for a fee.  One of the determining factors is tools.  I'm no longer collecting these, and I carry a couple of tool bags.  So, if something more specialized or expensive is required I'll hire someone rather than buy the necessary tools.

For this project I went to the local Ace Hardware and purchased a disposable tray, paint roller and 3" wide foam brush. These will be disposed of after use.  I had a quart of solvent in the under compartment of the RV and that would do for cleaning any stain from my hands. 

First, I don an old shirt, pair of Jeans and worn New Balance sneakers. I save these for chores such as this.

I prefer Cabot's oil based semi-solid stain.  I've been using it since the 1980s on cedar shingles, decks, etc. That's what I chose for this deck.  I had about a fifth of a gallon in storage, left over from the previous application and I purchased another gallon.  I stirred thoroughly and mixed these so as to get the same color; there are differences in batches. Note that when not in use I store these in an environmentally controlled space.  Freezing water based or certain oil-based products can ruin them.

First task is to remove everything from the deck, including the wooden stairs. I do this and then clean the deck in the morning. We get morning shade which makes this more pleasant. Also, it is better not to apply in full sun, which accelerates evaporation and drying. This can lead to streaking and uneven application. 

I need several rain-free sunny days to do this. I prefer to apply the stain when daytime temperatures peak about 90F and on a dry day. As I noted above the actual application is in the shade. After application I allow the deck stain to dry thoroughly for several days. It takes a while for the oil base to evaporate and soak into the wooden deck.  As the day progresses and the sun moves westerly we do get complete coverage with sunlight. This aid the drying.

Early in the morning I remove furniture and sweep the deck.  Then, using a long-handled stiff brush I scrub the deck with soap and water to loosen any debris.  This is followed with a deep power-washing.  I was able to borrow a washer at the campground.  

11:30am, after power washing and replacing stairs and cook station

After power washing I put the stairs and my "cook station" back in place and allow the deck to dry for a couple of days.

Several days later I again remove the cook station and stairs and sweep the deck. Then, using a roller with medium nap I apply the stain using consistent strokes and uniform application. 

Applying the stain with a Roller

About two hours after beginning I was done. I let the deck dry completely for a couple of days.  While this was occurring, we used the front door of the RV, which allows us to avoid walking on the deck.

All done! 

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Note: No AI tools were used to produce this blog. Most photos are unretouched.

(c) 2025 N. Retzke