Water can be a homeowner’s worst nightmare. Few things have the potential to damage a home as much as water. From exposure to leaks and flooding to moisture problems like mold, water can wreak havoc on a home.

With the arrival of warmer weather, more people are headed outside to enjoy time on their backyard deck or patio. Proper protection of wooden decks, railings and fencing can increase the life expectancy and save money on repairs or replacement.

For those who have recently added a deck or privacy fence, waterproofing is not recommended right away. “Sealing your deck, or waterproofing, you normally want to wait around three months from the time it was built before you transparent stain, solid stain or clear stain. It has a lot of the pressure treated chemicals in there and the sun will slowly draw that out,” Mike Littrell, owner of The Athens Handyman, LLC., said.

A simple test can be done to let the homeowner know when it it time to seal or reseal the deck. “Put a drop of water, and if it absorbs into the wood, it’s ready to stain or waterproof,” Littrell said. If the water doesn’t absorb into the wood, he recommends testing again in a month. Test on a dry deck. Do not test on a deck after a rain, as the wood will already be full of water.

“I always recommend two coats of whatever you choose and wait a day, or whatever the manufacturer recommends before you seal it again,” Littrell said. Be sure to use a stain product that is made for outdoor use. The same rules apply to the protection and treatment of wooden privacy fences.

Littrell recommends that homeowners reseal their decks and fencing every three to five years but to make sure the proper cleaning is done beforehand. “You probably want to pressure wash it, but you have to be sure not to blast the wood but you want to clean it, and let it dry before you reseal it,” he said.

A properly sealed deck should last at least 20 years or more while an unsealed deck typically lasts eight to 10 years. “I have seen decks that are 30 years old and look really good, and I have also seen decks that are 8 years old and we tore them down and rebuilt them because of maintenance most of the time,” he said.

Basements are also as area where water can cause major problems. Most basements are built with block walls and there are products, dry-lock, made to apply to the walls for waterproofing,” Littrell said. “French drains around the outside walls of the home can also redirect rainwater away from the outside walls that can then seep into the basement.”

“If you have water coming in every time it rains, it is time to consult a professional.They’ll come in and dig a trench around your outer walls, and they will trap all that water and send it down to a center drain/sump pump. It’s costly, but it’s well worth it because it pretty much has a lifetime warranty,” he said.

Littrell always recommends getting three quotes in writing, to make sure you know what the quote includes and to have a clear idea about what a good or bad quote might be. He also said to always make sure the contractor is licensed and insured and to be cautious of those asking for more than half of the payment up front.