No, we are not going sailing, we are referring here to your home's deck. Summer is approaching and your deck may need some maintenance and care so you can enjoy it all Summer long. Our friend Robert Robillard at "A Concord Carpenter" has a lot of great deck care, maintenance and repair advice that will guide you along the way.

Starboard view of the White Star Line passenger liner R.M.S. embarking on its ill-fated maiden voyage. April 10, 1912 Near Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK

If your deck just needs a bit of refreshing, you may only need to power wash it and apply a new sealer coat. A Concord Carpenter shows you how with Thompson's Water Seal in this issue of his blog. He offers some great power-washing advice in the Deck Sanding post he published, along with advice on chemical cleaners.

In his deck sanding blog, guest written by Olger Fallas Painting (photo left) Robert recommends using the lowest pressure that is effective to minimize potential wood damage when pressure washing, and avoiding chlorine based cleaners as they will damage and bleach the wood. For sanding, he recommends using 60-80 grit for the deck surface. Sanding the boards too smooth can interfere with the absorption of the stain and sealer. Of course, at 2Sand.com we have all of the sanding supplies you may need to get your deck ready for refinishing!

But what if your deck needs a bit more attention than cleaning or sanding? Well, A Concord Carpenter can help there too! Robert has a whole category for decks including info on identifying and correcting more serious issues such as rot, improper construction and safety concerns.

As always, we welcome your input too! What are your deck tips and tricks? share them with us by commenting on this blog, on the new Webpage, on our Facebook page, or via Twitter. -2Sand.com