How to rejuvenate your worn-out deck Four easy steps to a beautiful living space

Does your deck look like a weather-beaten dock? With the warmer temperatures upon us, backyards across the country will soon become the gathering places of choice for many friends and families. Now is the time to transform your wooden deck from an eyesore into a beautiful outdoor living space.

Here are some simple steps you can follow to help give your deck that much needed facelift from the refinishing experts at Swing Paints, the country's leading manufacturers of interior and exterior wood care products.

Step 1 - Restoration

According to Swing's Eric Chaimberg, the first step you need to take is to tighten loose screws and nails and secure floor boards on your deck. Look for mildew or rotting wood by inspecting underneath. Be sure to sink any protruding nails.

Step 2 - Surface Preparation

A good cleaning will remove dirt, grime and the gray colour from your deck. Bleach is recommended to eliminate mould and mildew.

Step 3 - Protection

To preserve that beautiful natural look, you need to protect your surface. Chaimberg recommends a polymerized tung oil-based finish such as Circa1850 Exterior Varnish. "It's a clear, tough coating varnish that protects and beautifies all exterior wood surfaces," he said. "Its unique formula provides a breathable water repellant surface. Rain and snow cannot penetrate the coating to damage the wood." Circa1850 Exterior Varnish contains transparent absorbers to screen out UV rays to inhibit the greying and fading effects of the sun. A superior fungicide is included to retard mildew.

Step 4 - Decoration

Let your imagination take over. Try adding a trellis with hanging plants, potted plants around the deck or flower boxes on the rail. Alter the mood of your entire backyard with unique outdoor lighting fixtures like lanterns, torches or railing lights. For a two-toned look on your deck, try finishing your railings and posts in a different accent colour. Chaimberg says that Circa 1850 Exterior Varnish now comes with a selection of tinting colours that will help you create a customized look. For more information or tips on finishing visit www.circa1850.com.

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