Protection and deck care go hand in hand. Without deck care, deck protection would be meaningless; deck protectors can work even better with deck care.
The protecting deck surface is essential to keep your deck in pristine condition. A typical deck requires protection every 3-5 years, depending on the soil type and exposure to sun, rain, wind, or snow. Salt air causes wood decking to deteriorate faster than other weather conditions. Wood surfaces are vulnerable to everyday wear and tear, so it’s essential to take care of them since they can be expensive to replace.
Decks suffer from deterioration and aging. They dry out and crack over time. Mold can grow in wet areas or where snow and ice melt on them. Even without significant damage, decks will eventually need to be replaced as they age. This is particularly true of composite decking, which has a limited lifespan before it requires an expensive replacement.
Here we’ll discuss the deck-saving methods that come with deck protectors:
1) Moisture control. To keep your decks from warping or losing their glossiness, always keep them away from moisture. If possible, display your deck on a closed shelf. Never put it on top of a television set or humidifier because these will expose the cards to moisture and spoil the cards’ finish over time.
2) Store horizontally—if you have a lot of decks to store vertically, do not stack more than five decks high at most. There are deck protectors that advertise protection from water damage, but avoid stacking decks vertically if you want to be safe.
3) When deck boxes were first released, card players didn’t use deck protectors at all! Decker protectors have overtaken deck boxes in sales, and deck/box sales combined have fallen below 50%. This makes it essential for a deck protector’s label or packaging to tell the consumer how many cards it can hold. The most common deck protector is capable of holding 80 cards. If you’re going to put a deck in a deck box, make sure the deck box is big enough for your deck! It’s much more cost-effective to get a larger deck box than adding another one because deck protectors can easily fit two deck boxes!
4) When deck boxes and deck protectors were first released, the deck holder that came with the deck box was just a tiny piece of plastic. These days, deck protectors have bigger holes to hold this deck holder, so it’s easier to put the deck in and take it out without damaging any cards. This is another way deck protectors support deck care.
A deck should be protected from various types of damage that affect the deck itself. There are two main damage types:
External damage, caused by water or dirt that pools on the deck and spreads across it. These problems can only be treated mechanically, for example, with a deck wash. A deck brush can also help remove dirt and sand stuck in between deck boards.
Internal damage, caused by moisture penetrating gaps below decking panels or through poorly fitted decking joints. This is a significant cause of decay and must be addressed immediately to prevent further deterioration, which will lead to costly repair costs down the road. Deck sealants are an ideal way to prevent this kind of internal damage from occurring in the first place.