Seasonal deck care

Spring. Do the annual inspection first, before you commit to a finish. Push on every guard, probe the ledger and post bases, and look for fastener corrosion. Then clean. Then decide about stain — the cycle is every two to three years, and staining a clean, dry deck costs $2 to $5 per square foot versus $4 to $7 once the old finish has to be stripped.

Summer. Move furniture and planters occasionally so moisture isn't trapped in one spot. If you're planning a build, remember covered decks are a different scope entirely at $40 to $100 per square foot, and adding a roof or pergola mid-summer is a permit conversation, not a weekend project.

Fall. Clear leaves out of the gaps between boards. Decking is normally spaced about 1/8 inch apart, and packed debris in those gaps holds water directly against the boards and the joists below. This is the cheapest rot prevention available.

Winter. Snow load matters. The prescriptive deck guide does not apply to decks experiencing snow loads that exceed 40 psf, so in heavy-snow regions your deck's design assumptions are worth knowing. Clear snow gently and with a plastic shovel.

How to choose

Inspect in spring, before you spend

There is no point staining a deck whose ledger is rotting. Structure first, finish second.

Stain in dry, mild weather

Restaining runs $4 to $7 per square foot and is only worth doing when the wood is genuinely dry.

Keep board gaps clear in fall

Boards are spaced about 1/8 inch apart for drainage. Packed leaves defeat that entirely.

Know your snow situation

Prescriptive deck design does not cover snow, snow drift, or sliding snow loads exceeding 40 psf. If that describes your winters, ask whether the deck was engineered for it.

Don't guess at deicers

Check the decking manufacturer's own published guidance before putting any chemical on the boards. Assume nothing.