You want to enjoy your deck for as long as possible.
Even though you protect your deck with professional sealant, sometimes it may still get damaged by a spring storm due to hail, debris, wind, or even lightning.
In today’s blog from Seal Smart, we talk about what to do if your deck was damaged in a storm.
First, Make Sure Everything Is Safe
Never do anything unsafe when going out to look at your deck. Make sure there are no power lines, gas leaks, or water leaks. If it’s at night, take a flashlight outside to inspect your deck because your outside lights may not make it bright enough.
Inspect Your Deck Thoroughly
Look over your deck to see what damage it may have sustained. Is there debris on it? Do you see any missing planks? Does your deck furniture look intact? Do you see any large tree branches on top of the deck?
Some things you may be able to clear off, but others you may not, depending on what damage your deck has sustained.
Clear Away Any Debris and Small Branches
If there are any leaves, branches, twigs, or debris that has blown onto your deck, clear them off. Always make sure it’s safe. If this can wait until morning, you should try to clean up your deck when it’s daylight so you can see everything. Don’t try to do this at night unless you absolutely need to.
Removing the debris is important because you can see what’s going on with the wood in your deck underneath the debris. Keep an eye out for any cracked or missing planks because you don’t want to fall through the deck or get your foot stuck.
It’s also important to remove debris as soon as you can because any water that may collect due to the debris could cause mold, mildew, and warping.
Start Looking for Damaged Wood on Your Deck
Once your wood deck is cleared of debris, look for damaged wood over all parts of the structure.
Splitting wood may occur when a plank takes a traumatic hit from a large object, like a brick, large tree branch, or heavy object like a grill. If you have a large grill and it gets knocked over by a storm, it might crack the wood.
Cracking and warping might also occur due to hail damage. Believe it or not, hail can leave pockmarks in your deck, which can chip and fray the surface of your deck. Hail damage and storm damage are other reasons why top coat sealants may not be the best option, especially if these things penetrate the surface of your deck.
Look for Missing Wood on Your Deck
High winds can cause missing deck boards. Watch carefully for these, especially if they occur in a walkway.
Take Photos of the Deck
If your homeowner’s insurance covers this type of damage, take photos as you go along. You may need to show these to your home insurance adjuster as he or she helps you with a claim, if there is enough damage and if storm damage is covered by your policy.
Determine If You Want to Repair or Rebuild Your Deck
Your insurance adjuster can help you determine if it’s better to repair or rebuild your deck. Consider contacting a local contractor and deck expert who can help you replace boards or completely rebuild your deck from scratch.
Who can help protect my deck against moisture damage?
Request a quote or give us a call at 1-877-288-6716, and we will be happy to talk to you about sealing your deck against the ravages of moisture.
You can read some of our Seal Smart reviews to see what some of our satisfied customers have to say about us and our professional deck sealing.
