Pressure Washing Guide

Don M. · Joined: 31 Oct 2007 Posts: 196

Deck Cleaning can be a daunting task for the novice homeowner. Many proffesionals on this forum have seen many decks almost ruined by homeowners that thought they could do it themselves. While the homeowner should get an A for effort, they should be very careful about restoring a deck themselves.

Three Deck Cleaning Tips For Homeowners

1. Know What Kind Of Species Of Wood You Are Dealing With.

In St. Louis, some homeowners didn't have any idea if their deck was made from cedar or pressure treated pine. There is a huge difference in both species of wood, just in there strength alone. When Cleaning A Cedar Deck, make sure you never use too much pressure. Many pressure washing contractors can use the right detergetents and between 500-800 psi to clean a cedar deck. If you are cleaning a pressure treated deck, then you could use 700-1000 psi and the right detergents to clean that surface. Never use anymore than 1000 psi on any surface other than concrete.

2. Know What Kind Of Detergents To Use.

With any Deck Cleaning St. Louis project you are doing, you must know what the end outcome you are wanting to acheive. If you deck is grayed out with no stain, then a good household cleaner that is sodium hypochlorite based will probably do the job. If you are looking at removing a semi-transparent stain, then you will need a sodium hydroxide based cleaner, followed with neutralizing agent. If you have a solid stain on your deck and you want it gone, we highly suggest contacting a local deck restoration professional in your area.

3. Go With A Good Stain.

When Deck Staining stay away from anything that has the word BEHR in it. Also stay away from latex based stains. They will peel on you and you will have a mess on your hands. Remember, nothing last forever. If it promises 5-7 years, look the other way. Find a good semi-transparant stain that is oil based and your deck will look great. In 18-24 months, you will need a light cleaning then you can reapply the same oil based deck stain. After that fades, I suggest you start the process all over again by removing the stain and starting with the wood again.