People who own wood decks often receive varying degrees of misinformation concerning the best way to maintain them. They are frustrated when they discover that their deck didn’t stay looking like new as long as they had hoped. The intent of this section is to separate fact from fiction and emphasize the do’s and don’ts of treating wood decks.
Why Decks Turn Grey
We’ll use the example of a brand new red car sitting in your driveway. The bonnet of the car is absolutely beautiful to the point of seeing your reflection in its finish. Now let’s look at the same car sitting in the same spot but unmoved for months. The finish becomes filthy from dust, dirt, tree pollen and other pollutants in the air. The flat portions of wood decks react the same way as the bonnet of the car except the wood is porous and traps the dust and dirt more rapidly than the bonnet of the car. Unlike the car, which can be easily rinsed off due to its smooth surface, the wood cannot be as easily cleaned. The build up of dirt, combined with the weathering effects of sun and moisture, contributes to the grey colour of the wood.
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