Having a beautiful garden with well-designed interlock and an elegant deck is not out of reach as it used to be.
Today, more and more home owners in Toronto and its surrounding areas are choosing to enjoy spending their free time in their backyard with family and friends. Building a deck adds a natural and elegant look to your backyard. It is also a great solution for those who do not wish to spend hours on lawn cutting and plants watering.
Decks can come in all kinds of styles and designs. One of the most fashionable design ideas adopted by Torontonians nowadays is to use similar wood for the floor indoors and deck outdoors, extending the rooms to the outside. Adding patio furniture, barbecue and some landscaping creates an inviting environment that starts inside the house and continues to the garden.
Traditionally, decks were made from hard wood and treated wood such as cedar, teak and ipe. In recent years, other materials were introduced in the Canadian market such as composite materials, aluminum and plastic (azek). The material used to build your deck will affect the look and feel of your back yard as well as the maintenance required.
Decks are a relatively cost effective solution that requires low maintenance. It is a good practice to check once a year for cracks and peeling from knots. A light cleaning with a designated cleaning solution and cloth is usually enough. Staining should also be done every few years.
The cold and stormy weather in Toronto may cause some weather damages to your deck over the years. If you wish to keep it on the safe side, use a water-repellent preservative. You can then use a semi-transparent stain. Even if the deck has been maintained with a water-repellent preservative for many years, an oil-based semi-transparent stain will perform sufficiently.
Here are some good tips on how to maintain your deck:
1) Before starting any maintenance, move away furniture, plants, bbq, and any other objects from your deck.
2) Remove rubbish and dirt stuck between the boards.
3) Sweep the deck with a broom to get rid of leaves, dirt and dust
4) Wash the deck using a pressure washer or garden hose.
5) Apply a deck cleaning solution to the deck, rubbing the foam into the deck thoroughly. Allow the foam to sit on the deck for about 15-20 minutes.
6) Rinse the foam off the deck with a garden hose or pressure washer.
7) Re-apply the cleaner if needed