Tearing Down an Old Wood Deck Floor

If your deck is located in a heavily-shaded area, consider trimming tree branches.  This will provide more sun exposure and less moisture from overhanging branches.  Planning is the key to any project of this magnitude and that’s why it’s a good idea to have a dumpster delivered ahead of time.  Keeping your yard free of nail-infested boards is safer for everyone, especially small children and pets.  If you are using alternative materials, like composite decking or vinyl, always follow the manufacturer’s recommended installation procedures for the product you buy and check with your local municipality for building codes.  Read the rest of this entry »

Making Your Plastic Deck Safe During The Winter

Structural Integrity

Tighten any loose fasteners, and pound in any nails that have popped up.  Replace corroded or rusted fasteners.  Decking and stairs should appear even without sagging, neither swaying nor moving when tested.  Railings, banisters and handrails should be firmly held in place.  You can test these by pushing on them, ensuring there is no give.  To prevent small children and pets from squeezing through, keep rails no more than four inches apart (measured from the inside of the rails).  Building codes recommend railings that are 36 to 42 inches in height.  Make sure that risers and stringers on stairs are securely attached and not decayed.

Maximize Lighting

Be sure all lighting works.  Clean light covers to maximize lighting and trim any plants or tree limbs that block your lights.

Remove any planters, patio furniture and grills

Move these into your garage, shed or beneath your deck if possible.  Moisture can pool under planters that are left on your deck through the winter.  This not only leads to mold and mildew growth, but unsightly stains on the decking material.

Clean your deck

A clean deck allows more air circulation between boards, making your deck more resilient against rain and snow.  Start by sweeping away leaves, dirt and debris since their decomposition damages decking material.  Wash your deck with a hose and scrub-broom, freeing decay matter from deck fibers.  Avoid power washing which may damage your deck and void the warranty.  Remove food stains and other spills with warm, soapy water and a stiff-bristle brush.  Use oxalic acid for tannin stains left by leaves and organic debris but be sure to check with your deck manufacturer first.

Eliminate Mold and Mildew

Mold and mildew attack the wood and plastic in composite decks, making it the biggest threat to composite decking’s appearance.  While many homeowners’ successfully combat mold and mildew with sodium hypochlorite, you should check your deck manufacturer’s recommendations first.

Improve Drainage

Standing water encourages mold and attracts mosquitoes, flies and gnats.  A good drainage system underneath your deck includes splash guards and downspouts that direct water to another area of your yard. If you notice areas on or around your deck where water is allowed to collect, add or replace flashing.

To cover or not to cover, that is the question

A durable plastic tarp or insulation will protect your deck from winter’s harsh elements.  But with a cold roof, you’ll need to ensure plenty of ventilation beneath the tarp.  Airflow is needed to evaporate the rising damp air condensing on the underside of the plastic.  Plastic tarps are not only ugly; they’re prohibited in many subdivisions and not watertight anyway.  Water can still pool on it, leading to mold and mildew.  For this reason, we recommend not covering your deck and removing snow from it instead.

Be careful when removing snow

While composite decking is tough, hard rakes, shovels and hoes can damage composite material, leaving dents and scratches on your new deck.  It’s best to clear snow with a broom or plastic shovel, running the shovel across decking boards lengthwise.

Guard your deck from the grill

A guard mat underneath your grill will protect your deck from scrapes and scratches and prevent burns and stains from hot coals and grease.

With a little bit of effort, you can keep your deck safe this winter, prevent permanent damage and avoid many maintenance issues next spring.

How to Combat Ponding on Your Plastic Deck

Ponding water on a deck can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare.  Water that remains on a deck 48 hours or more indicates not enough slope or that sagging or settlement of the deck’s structure has occurred.  But with proper design, installation and regular inspection, you can prevent ponding conditions before they develop into extensive and costly situations. Read the rest of this entry »

Making an Old Deck Look New

Most homeowners dread the work involved with making their old decks look new.  Extracting the screws, nails and stubborn rotted boards is merely the beginning.  Then comes the stripping, staining and challenge of making the replacement railings and decking boards match the others.  And it’s no surprise that doing the work yourself will cost one-third as much as it would to hire contractors, leaving homeowners to wonder if they’d be better off tearing the whole deck down and starting over.  But there’s a new option in town.  If your deck is structurally sound, consider remodeling it with vinyl or composite decking, railings and balusters.  The advantages are well worth the initial investment.  Here are some tips and guidelines:

• Have a dumpster delivered ahead of time to dispose of nails, screws and rotted boards. Read the rest of this entry »

Plastic Boat Trailer Rails

Those that love being on the water in a boat know the enjoyment of boating on a lake, river or ocean.  Before one goes out and purchases a boat, one should take into consideration how the boat is to be transported.  This is where selecting a boat trailer comes into play.  Experienced boaters know that the proper boat trailer and boat trailer rails can mean the difference between a fun filled day on the water or sinking like the Titanic.
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Why is Plastic Lumber More Expensive than Wood?

The most common use of recycled plastic trash bags and waste wood fibers is plastic or recycled lumber. The main advantages of using recycled lumber products are that it is more durable than wood, is heat resistant, insect proof and versatile and comes in a wide variety of different styles and colors. Recycled plastic lumber products contain no toxic chemicals, unlike those in conventional lumber.
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Composite Decking

Many of us enjoy sitting on our decks during the summer months, but one thing that many of us hate are the bugs. Wood decking has a tendency to attract bugs such as termites, wood bees and wood roaches. Bugs can cause not only a problem when trying to entertain; it can also be dangerous for humans if they are stung. Wood bees and termites for example look at wooden decks as a food and a prime-breeding environment. Composite decking does not attract insects and is now fast becoming a popular choice among those that use their decks on a daily basis.

Composite decking is easy to care for. Homeowners that do not have a lot of time to devote to maintenance love the ease of care. Traditional wood decking has to be repainted, stained or resealed every few years to help keep it looking good. Composite decking comes in a variety of colors and since the material is already impregnated with the color there is never a need to paint this decking material. Composite decking is also easy to clean. All one has to do is simple wash it off with water to keep it looking good all year long.

Since composite decking is easy to take care of and comes in a variety of colors, many are now choosing this newer material over traditional wood decking. By installing a deck made out of composite decking, homeowners know that their outdoor investment will look beautiful for years to come.

Recycled Plastic Picnic Tables

Picnic tables are not just for dining outdoors, these are gathering places for those that enjoy the outdoors. Recycled plastic picnic tables are not those generic looking tables that can be found at the local park. These outdoor tables now come in a variety of sizes, styles and colors. Many people are now using picnic tables as the focal point for their outdoor landscape.
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Why Choose a Vinyl Gazebo?

Those that are considering adding a gazebo to their backyard now have many options. The new vinyl gazebos that are now on the market have many advantages over the traditional wooden gazebos. Not only are they lower maintenance, they are also better for the environment since no trees have to be cut down, when compared to their wooden counter part.

Vinyl gazebos never have to be painted. These durable structures resemble wood in appearance, but since they are made out of vinyl the color will never chip, fade or need treated with harsh chemicals. With wooden gazebos that are painted, the paint will start to peel or chip when exposed to the elements over a period of time. Even when a wooden gazebo is only stained and not painted, the wood still has to be treated with sealants to keep the wood from rotting due to being exposed to wet weather. This is never an issue with a vinyl gazebo. The only maintenance that these stylish structures need is to be washed off with a garden hose to keep it looking new, year after year.

The problem with wooden gazebos is that they have a tendency to attract bugs. Insects that feed on wood, such as termites can destroy a wooden gazebo in a short period of time. By installing a vinyl gazebo this is never an issue. Insects are not attracted to the vinyl and have no desire to feed off of it like wood. Homeowners that have vinyl gazebos installed near wood find this to be a great feature.

Many are worried that a vinyl gazebo might only come in one or two styles. The fact is that there are many styles and sizes that are available. With this being said many are surprised to find with the various sizes that are available, it is easy to find one to fit into many different sizes of yards.

Vinyl gazebos can be bought in kits that one can build them. For those that want to avoid the cost of having someone erect the structure, kits offer that option of doing it themselves. There are generally no special tools that are needed. Many of the same tools that can be used on a wooden structure, can also be use when erecting a vinyl gazebo.

Since vinyl gazebos are so low on maintenance they are becoming the top choice for those wanting to add beauty to their outdoor space. Those that have switched from wooden gazebos to a vinyl one, enjoy the ease of care. Owning a vinyl gazebo gives the homeowner more time to enjoy their outdoor space instead of doing maintenance.

Beautifying a Yard with a Signature Yard Sign

Many home owners install landscaping in and around their house to add more curb appeal to the property. Once the trees, flowers, bushes, stone pathway and wood chips are completed though, many home owners feel that there is still something missing from their yard. That missing piece is a signature yard sign. Placing a recycled plastic signature yard sign can bring the whole landscaping design in a yard together.

Recycled plastic signature yard signs are a wonderful way to display your house number or name. There are many advantages to displaying your name or house number this way. The numbers or name is large enough to be read from the street. We have all experienced trying to read tiny house numbers that are located on a small plaque next to the front door when trying to find a specific address, or even worse trying to read the name or numbers on a mailbox while driving down the street trying to find someone’s house. This can become aggravating for not only friends and or family trying to find your home, but also for delivery people as well.

Plastic signature yard signs are not only great for those properties in the city or suburbs; they are also a good idea for those that live in rural or wooded areas also. Those that have homes that are not visible from the road due to trees, hills or a long driveway find that visitors or delivery people have a very hard time finding their home. Many people that live in rural or wooded areas like having a signature yard sign at the beginning of the driveway making their house easier to locate.

Recycled plastic signature yard signs are not only a unique way to display a name or house number, they are also better for the environment. Unlike wood signs that attract insects or rot due to weather exposure and metal signs that can rust, recycled plastic yard signs are not affected by the elements. Plastic signature yard signs will also never rust and never need paint. These yard signs stay beautiful looking year after year with very little upkeep.

Adding a unique piece to a landscaped yard such as a signature sign can help to beautify a yard and help to displaying a name or house number so people are sure to find your home easily.