If time has taken a toll on your deck, leaving it dirty, mildew-stained and wearing a coat of gray, don’t worry! It’s easy to restore your deck to its natural beauty. Clean and protect your deck to get the most out of it during the spring and summer months. Here’s advice from the experts at Wolman Wood Care Products:

• Clean the deck thoroughly with a formulated deck cleaner, such as Wolman Deck & Fence Brightener – Wood Cleaner & Coating Prep. Embedded dirt, weathered gray wood left behind from last year’s sun exposure, black or green stains from mildew, mold and algae, or brown-black tannin bleed common on new cedar can ruin the look of your deck. Even newly built wood decks can require surface prep to remove surface barriers like mill glaze on cedar or “green bleed” on pressure treated pine. These barriers can prevent the adhesion of protective coatings, including colored stains and clear sealers. Products like Deck & Fence Brightener remove surface barriers, gray discoloration and even the toughest stains, restoring wood to its natural beauty without bleaching like chlorine bleach can.

• Apply a solid or semi-transparent stain to enhance your deck’s appeal, or a transparent finish or toner with a hint of color to let the natural wood grain and texture show through. Even if you are undecided on whether or not to stain — or which color to choose — it’s important to protect it with a water-repellent. Water-repellents stop spring and summer showers from penetrating the wood surface, and the resulting swelling, shrinking, warping, and cracking caused by water absorption. Many products, including Wolman RainCoat Water Repellent, also contain a mildewicide to resist ugly mildew growth on the coating film. Look for products, like RainCoat, that offer a performance guarantee on water-repellent longevity. They provide longer lasting protection so you won’t have to apply a new coat every year.

For more information about cleaning, restoring, beautifying, and protecting your deck or for more helpful deck tips, visit www.wolman.com.