METRO CREATIVE SERVICES

Homeowners face a new challenge when it comes to getting the expected useful life out of their decks. The corrosive effects of new pressure-treating chemicals for wood leave deck builders and owners facing a new array of challenges.

Give wood deck a facelift

Does your deck look like a weather-beaten dock? With the warmer temperatures upon us, backyards across the country will soon become the gathering places of choice for many friends and families. Now is the time to transform your wooden deck from an eyesore into a beautiful outdoor living space. Here are some simple steps you can follow to help give your deck that much needed facelift: Step 1 - Restoration According to Swing's Eric Chaimberg, the first step you need to take is to tighten loose screws and nails, secure floor boards and sink any protruding nails on your deck. Look for mildew or rotting wood by inspecting underneath the deck and replace any damaged boards. Step 2 - Surface Preparation A good cleaning will remove dirt grime and the grey color from your deck. Bleach, mixed half and half with water, is recommended to eliminate mold and mildew. Rinse and let dry 48 hours. Step 3 - Protection To preserve that beautiful natural look, protect your surface. We recommend a polymerized tung oil-based finish such as Circa 1850 Exterior Varnish. Rain and snow cannot penetrate the coating to damage the wood. Circa 1850 Exterior Varnish contains transparent absorbers to screen out UV rays and inhibit the greying and fading effects of the sun. It also incorporates a superior fungicide and mildewcide to increase performance. Step 4 -- Decoration Let your imagination take over. Try adding a trellis with hanging plants, a couple of big potted plants around the deck or flower boxes on the rail. Alter the mood of your entire backyard with unique outdoor lighting fixtures like lanterns, torches or railing lights. For a two-toned look on your deck, try finishing your railings and posts in a different accent color. Circa 1850 Exterior Varnish now comes with a selection of new tinting colors that will help you create a customized look.

Because of the potential for adverse environmental and health effects, traditional arsenic based CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) treatments can no longer be used in wood for residential construction. The new wood preservatives that have replaced CCA are expected to be safer and more environmentally sensitive; however, they are more corrosive. These new pressure-treatment chemicals accelerate the corrosion of the galvanized metal components used on exterior decks which can result in costly repairs and, in some cases, can threaten the deck's structural integrity.

Replacing or repairing a deck is an expensive undertaking, making it imperative that homeowners and contractors take necessary preventative measures during the early stages of a deck's construction. Educated consumers should ask their contractors to install Grace Vycor(R) Deck Protector(R) from Grace Construction Products, a unique approach to address accelerated corrosion and help maintain the expected useful life of decks.

For a small initial investment homeowners can minimize the risk that accelerated corrosion will threaten the longevity and safety of their decks and potentially save time and money on repairs or replacement.

"Grace Vycor Deck Protector provides an easy, reliable and inexpensive solution to the corrosive effects of new wood treatment chemicals," said Lawrence S. Shapiro, Grace's residential business director. "Grace Vycor Deck Protector is a self-adhered membrane used in areas where galvanized steel comes into contact with pressure-treated wood forming a barrier between the chemical containing wood and the galvanized metal. Furthermore, the sealing nature of the product reduces the corrosive effects of the new chemicals on fasteners even though the fasteners are often installed through the membrane into the wood itself.

While certain fasteners and connectors are treated with higher levels of galvanizing to address the effects of the new wood treatment chemicals, the additional galvanizing does not change the corrosion mechanism or reduce the rate of corrosion. Grace Vycor Deck protector is the only product on the market with testing that shows a reduction in the corrosion rate to the same level as with CCA wood.

Builders and consumers should be advised that only hot dipped galvanized fasteners should be used with Grace Vycor Deck Protector and that the fasteners and connectors are approved by their manufacturer for use with pressure treated wood.