When to PH Balance a Deck

After Construction

• When wood is milled into the lumber and decking you use to build the deck, it becomes covered in a layer of dirt, sap from the wood and grease from the milling machines. This covering is known as mill glaze and interferes with the wood's absorption of sealant as well as keeps the pH balance high, according to expert handyman Glenn Haege. Using a pH balancing stripping agent prepares the deck for finishing after it is built.

Staining

• Removing any existing stain when your deck needs cleaning or has become faded will ensure that the new application of stain is absorbed evenly. This prevents streaks or splotches from developing in the finish. Leaving the deck in an acidic state, which results from using strippers and cleaners, will damage the new stain quickly, warns The Sealer Store. If the deck is also being cleaned while stripping the stain, one application of deck brightener will be enough after both steps are completed.

Sealing

• Using a deck brightener, which is used to make your wood deck more acidic, helps the surface of the wood absorb sealant, Haege explains. The alkaline balance left in the wood after preparing the deck for sealant with cleaning and stripping reacts with the ingredients of the sealant. Splotches and streaking occurs when a sealant is sprayed or rolled on over an improperly prepared deck surface, and the sealant coat won't keep the wood protected from moisture and ultraviolet damage as long.

Cleaning

• The chemicals that help reduce the pH balance of the deck have an effect on how long the deck will stay clean after a thoroughly scrubbing and re-sealing. Wood that has an acidic balance around 7 or 8 pH will not grow as mold as easily as wood with a alkaline or high pH balance, according to the Restore a Deck website. Most deck cleaners raise the pH of the wood, so treating the wood with a pH balancing agent after each cleaning is a good practice.