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 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. We network with quality log home professionals throughout the country and help connect log home owners to log professionals. Contact us for a free consultation or DIY information. Visit our web site for more articles, useful information on how to care and maintain your log home and photos regarding details on the above article at http://www.logoptions.com

Have you been thinking long and hard about building your own custom deck railings? You may have seen a lot of examples of deck railings on other people’s landscapes and you would like it for your own deck. The news that you will be glad to hear, is that the planning is quite simple and so is the building and installing too. This is great even for people who have no experience whatsoever of being a carpenter or a builder. Anyone with experience will tell you that building the railings will take preparation, planning, measuring and also getting everything that you need.

Constructing Your Own Deck Railings

Deck railings are generally a lot simpler to install than building the actual deck yourself. It should only take a couple of hours at the most to install the railings, providing that you have the right tools in order to finish the job. When the railings have been installed, they may need to be waterproofed in order to protect them from the damaging weather.

It is always a good idea to first prepare and plan the type of railings you want to construct. It is advised that you go around your neighborhood in order to see what styles other people have gone for so that your will follow the theme if there is one. Remember that the rails have to fit in with the style of your own home and your own personality and lifestyle too. When you have decided upon a design and style and you have done the correct measurements etc, it is then important to get the right tools needed for the job.

The Tools You Will Need

The main tools which you will need to construct the deck railings include a hammer, a saw, balusters, a caulking gun, a drill a wrench and eyewear to protect your eyes from any flying debris from the materials you are using. To measure the adequate spaces you may also need some cinder blocks too.

Generally once you know what you are doing it should not take very long to construct the railings. However if you are really not sure about the whole thing, it might be a good idea to cut your losses and hire a professional. If you don’t know what you are doing it is always better to simply try and just complete the railings instead of the whole deck. The deck really can be complicated to construct so unless you know what you are doing, it is better to leave that completely to the professionals!