Whether the Nasdaq is up or down, homeowners can still find one investment with an almost-certain positive return – the backyard deck.

Of course, there are the dollars and cents of it. After using the deck, you can still recoup about 70% of its cost when you sell the house. (That’s assuming you’ve followed the basics of routine deck care to keep the deck in good shape.)However, the non-monetary returns of a family deck can be even more impressive.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

For instance. Barbara and Gary Geiser of Bella Vista, Arkansas credit their deck with adding years to their life. “We soak up the peacefulness of the wonderful outdoors, stopping to smell the roses, thus elongating our lives.” Regina Duffey of Charlotte, North Carolina says she found a new husband via her deck. “My romance began on a deck last fall with a bowl of Campbell’s tomato soup and a turkey sandwich…” After many more lunches on deck, the couple wed last November.

In Naperville, Illinois, Susan and Todd Aliss learned some priceless life-lessons in the process of building their deck, such as “when looking for straight boards, one must look quickly, or you will be forgotten and locked in the lumberyard – and a framing square, when thrown, does not come back to you like a boomerang, especially when angry.”

Other deck building projects go more smoothly. Also from Illinois, Kristen Tomaszewski writes of the project her newlywed husband undertook – with his father-in-law, “They both arranged to take their vacation time together, and I crossed my fingers – I’m elated to say that, not only did the deck turn out magnificently, but my husband and father have grown even closer with a new respect for one another.”

TIPS FOR DECK TLC

The experts at The Thompson’s Company remind homeowners that investing in your deck also means a little DTLC (deck tender loving care) every few years. Research done for the brand shows that a shocking 23% of deck owners have never waterproofed their decks – one of the few ways to make your deck’s “stock” plummet.

“Water is wood’s greatest enemy by far,” says Dr. Victoria Scarborough, head of R&D for the Thompson’s Water Seal brand. “The majority of deck damage is caused by repeated shrinking/swelling cycles. The wood absorbs water, dries out, then repeats the process time and time again, Yet it’s really very easy and inexpensive to stop the damage with an effective waterproofer.”

If you’d like to invest a little time protecting your deck maybe before everyone descends for that July 4 cookout – Dr. Scarborough has the following tips:

* Don’t wait to protect a new deck. “There’s a very common myth that new lumber should ‘weather’ for a year before waterproofing, and it’s totally false,” said Scarborough. “Under most conditions, the wood can begin deteriorating, even in that short span of time. For most Thompson’s Water Seal waterproofers, weadvise waiting only 30 days before treating the wood.” Scarborough adds that Thompsonized wood is now available (pressure-treated pine for consumers who live West of the Rocky Mountains and pressure-treated redwood for consumers in California) that is pre-treated with a waterproofer, an investment that saves time and money after building the deck.

Clean your deck. Always clean your deck using a product such as Thompson’s Water Seal Deck Wash. Not only does it make the deck look better, it will help the waterproofer penetrate into the wood for maximum protection. Even if it has never been treated or you have a new deck, accumulated dirt and microscopic damaged wood fibers could keep the waterproofer from absorbing properly.

* Consider the (colorful) possibilities. There are many options for adding color to the deck while you protect it. Tinted wood protectors (or “toners”) are very sheer, wood-toned waterproofers that are growing in popularity. Semi-transparent and solid stains come in dozens of traditional and “non-traditional” colors, including blue? green and black.

Consider stenciling a design around the border of the deck, or using a palette of several different colors to create a distinctive look. There is no need to apply a clear waterproofer over a stain, and be sure the product label says the stain is designed for use on a deck. Otherwise, foot traffic can cause uneven wear.

Homeowners can also send specific questions on deck care to The Thompson’s Company twww.thompsonsQnline.com and 1-800-367-6297.