Pergola Maintenance

[woodburyowner]

My pergola is about 10 years old and I've been thinking about doing on maintenance on it.  The top of my pergola shows a bit of wood damage from the sun/rain and also the paint has faded pretty significantly.  However, the rest of the pergola is still in pretty good shape (basically the parts where I can see when standing in my back yard).  Since the top is getting all the sun, is it advisable to repaint and put sealants used for decks? 

How often do you guys do this type of maintenance? 

 

[WTTCHMN]

My pergola is about 10 years old and I've been thinking about doing on maintenance on it.  The top of my pergola shows a bit of wood damage from the sun/rain and also the paint has faded pretty significantly.  However, the rest of the pergola is still in pretty good shape (basically the parts where I can see when standing in my back yard).  Since the top is getting all the sun, is it advisable to repaint and put sealants used for decks? 

How often do you guys do this type of maintenance?

It probably has termite damage too.

 

[woodburyowner]

My pergola is about 10 years old and I've been thinking about doing on maintenance on it.  The top of my pergola shows a bit of wood damage from the sun/rain and also the paint has faded pretty significantly.  However, the rest of the pergola is still in pretty good shape (basically the parts where I can see when standing in my back yard).  Since the top is getting all the sun, is it advisable to repaint and put sealants used for decks? 

How often do you guys do this type of maintenance?

It probably has termite damage too.

That's a possibility since I have seen little bits of wood dust on my slippers outside.  What extra steps do I need to do to address termites? 

 

[WTTCHMN]

My pergola is about 10 years old and I've been thinking about doing on maintenance on it.  The top of my pergola shows a bit of wood damage from the sun/rain and also the paint has faded pretty significantly.  However, the rest of the pergola is still in pretty good shape (basically the parts where I can see when standing in my back yard).  Since the top is getting all the sun, is it advisable to repaint and put sealants used for decks? 

How often do you guys do this type of maintenance?

It probably has termite damage too.

That's a possibility since I have seen little bits of wood dust on my slippers outside.  What extra steps do I need to do to address termites?

Fumigate, repair, then paint (it will require more paint than you think - the dried out wood will soak the paint up like a sponge).

Otherwise, rip out the whole thing and replace with vinyl (more expensive but better in the long run - no maintenance and never need to paint).