Deck Sealing & Waterproofing Deerfield, IL

Deck sealing for Deerfield homes

Deck sealing in Deerfield starts with knowing the housing: North Shore neighborhoods with mature trees and shaded lots. In practice that means decks that stay damp under old oaks and maples.

Deerfield is in southern Lake County. The established trees that make the yards nice also keep decks and fences shaded, and shaded wood needs a thorough chemical clean before it will take stain evenly.

Ask a Lake County homeowner when their deck was last sealed and the honest answer is usually never. Water gets into the end grain at the board ends, the screw holes and the ledger board against the house, and that is where rot starts. A sealer is cheap insurance. It is also the one step people think they can skip on a hardwood deck, when hardwood is exactly what a UV-blocking penetrating oil is made for.

How the job goes in Deerfield

1. Moisture checkThe deck must read under about 15% on a moisture meter. Sealing wet wood traps the water in and the sealer will not bond.
2. Clean and brightenEven a deck that looks clean has surface oxidation. A percarbonate wash and brightener open the grain so the sealer penetrates.
3. Mask and protectSiding, doors, planters and the patio below are covered. Sealers are thin and travel.
4. Apply thin, even coatsPad or sprayer with a back-brush. The wood takes what it can absorb and the rest is wiped off so it does not leave a sticky film.

Other work we do in Deerfield

Homeowners here also ask us about Deck repair in Deerfield, Pergola & gazebo staining in Deerfield and Dock & pier staining in Deerfield. See everything on the Deerfield service area page, or read the full deck sealing guide. We also cover nearby Lincolnshire, Lake Bluff and Bannockburn.