Importance of Maintaining Decks and Porches

While log home owners enjoy living within the warmth and beauty of logs, many also enjoy outdoor living which is why a large number of log homes are designed and built to accommodate decks and porches. It is equally important to take the same care and attention you give to your logs to maintaining your decks and porches. Decks are especially vulnerable during the long winter months, weathering due to pooling rain water, direct sunlight and large amounts of traffic. Annual or possibly seasonal inspections should be performed to help keep maintenance to a minimum and avoid costly repairs. 

Inspecting Decks and Porches

When performing inspections of your deck walk around looking for obvious signs of peeling stain, blistering or weathering. Look for green areas which are a sign of algae. Algae by itself are not harmful to the wood cells but are a sign of excessive moisture which can eventually cause decay. Black areas are a sign of mildew which is especially evident when the deck is wet. These areas can be cleaned with percarbonate bleach such as Sashco’s CPR, followed by a light power washing. Many log homes have porches in which the roof is supported by posts. The bases of these posts are often hidden below the deck floors and are in ground contact keeping them continually wet and vulnerable to insects. As decay sets in, these posts shorten with the weight of the roof and deck above. The roof eventually sags and expensive repairs are the result.

Protecting Lower Log Courses above Deck

Deck surfaces cause water to splash back onto adjacent log surfaces. These areas require more frequent inspections, cleaning and staining. Gutters should be installed to prevent rain water from contacting the deck closest to log walls. In addition, metal grating installed in the deck floor directly beneath roof overhang will help reduce backsplash. Flashing the lowest log course will also direct water away from the log. These lower log courses at deck level are very problematic for many homeowners and these simple steps may save expensive log replacement in the future.   

Protecting Decks and Porches

Protecting your deck and rail with a quality finish is an important factor in the maintenance process. The most common sources of deterioration are standing water and direct sunlight. With proper cleaning and a quality deck finish, these situations can be greatly reduced. Many log home stain manufacturers offer environmentally friendly products to safely clean and protect your deck. Most manufacturers offer a wide range of color choices and will provide sample colors upon request. 

Log Rail: A common place for log decay is at the base of the deck rails. Water tends to pool where the log rail meets the horizontal supporting log. This can be avoided by drilling “weep holes” in the bottom of the rail to allow rain water to pass through the support log and allow drying.

Supporting Deck Posts:  Supporting post bases are especially vulnerable to decay because the ends tend to draw moisture up into the post. Be sure your posts sit on cement or stone footings well above ground level. Some post bases are equipped with metal risers which help keep water from being drawn into the post end.

Rail Support Posts: The top of your deck rail support posts also absorb moisture and over time will begin to decay. Post caps should be installed to eliminate this problem. Often these caps are made of copper but can be other metals or even wood.

Stairs: Deck stairs are exposed to the elements even if you have a covered porch. Stairs always end at ground level and this is where most problems occur. Make sure that the bottom of your stairway sits on a cement slab or stone base and is not in ground contact. Even with this precaution it is susceptible to backsplash. For this reason stairs require more frequent inspection, cleaning and staining.  

Conclusion

Decks and porches are aesthetically appealing, provide extra living space and are great places to relax and entertain. Safely enjoy your outdoor living with continual maintenance and care using quality products and implementing these cost effective measures.

 

Article written by: Tom Tydeman, owner of Log Options, LLC www.logoptions.com