There are many deck care product manufacturers. I have listed the companies which control a large portion of the deck product market.

Old deck sealers didn't protect against color change. New deck sealers are coatings that protect your deck from stains, water and the sun. Deck cleaners and brighteners may be used for especially dirty wood decks.

Deck sealers have been reviewed in Consumer Reports magazine. Check the May, 1997 and June, 1999 magazines for more information about what products worked and what products didn't.

Deck stripping products come in a variety of chemical strengths. Deck strippers can range from mild to toxic. Try the least aggressive stripper first on your wood deck. If it doesn't work, move up in strength.

Sealing decks every year is a pain. Avoid the yearly deck cleaning and deck sealing by using oxygen bleach and a synthetic resin sealer. Always clean after stripping wood decks of old finishes.

Power washing does erode wood, despite what many people think. To wash a deck properly, use a solution of oxygen bleach and seal the deck the next day with a synthetic resin sealer.

Chlorine bleach is a great sanitizer but it can harm wood. For deck cleaning, use oxygen bleach. Oxygen bleach doesn't harm wood or remove color from your deck. Stain Solver is my brand of oxygen bleach.

The following chart displays the results from 25 tested wood sealers and water repellents in 1996. The synthetic resins tested best. The top product was Sikkens, an expensive film former resin. The second place product, called Defy, is not a film former and is an excellent product.