There’s hardly anything better than pouring yourself a great, tall drink and lounging on your deck to relax after another long, stressful workday. A personal vacation area right outside your back door, a deck will prove to be just about the greatest place in your entire personal world! But to do so, you need to keep your deck in a good shape. Pressure washing your deck is an important part of deck sealing preparation and maintenance.
Unfortunately, as decks are exposed to the outdoors, they are never protected from the sun, rain, or other destructive elements. As a result, even the toughest deck can start to look awful over time as it discolors and becomes infected with mold and algae. Of course, standard debris shouldn’t be your ultimate concern when it comes to cleaning your deck.
The majority of wood types are attractive to mold and mildew. The main reason for these infections is the presence of moisture. Although manual cleaning may not always be efficient in removing all traces of fungal, efficient pressure washing can.
Here are some benefits one can get by pressure washing the deck at least once a year:
- Decks are most of them made of woods and this material is vulnerable to environmental factors like moisture, rainwater, and sunlight. However, pressure washing your deck at least once a year can help strengthen its immunity and disclose potential issues which are mainly rotting.
- When the damage is already done, you need to change the surface of the whole deck. So it costs so much money. But pressure washing the deck regularly will not only clean your surface but also will save the repairing costs.
- Pressure washing will clear the organic wastes like fungus and molds. Also, it will clean the surface containing dust, grime, and dirt. So overall curb appeal of your house will increase.
- Cleaning with a pressure washer is, without a doubt, faster and more effective than any manual cleaning method. It is the most efficient way to clean the deck with minimum labor.
Therefore, it will increase the overall value of the house. One can do the whole process by own but also hiring professional service will also give some extra benefits like:
- As a pressure washer is a powerful machine, there are always possibilities to damage the exterior surface of the house, deck, and physical injuries. A professional knows how to deal with it and will prevent different types of damage that might happen.
- It will give you the best possible result because a professional will almost certainly have more advanced equipment and experience. Besides, it will save your time, labor, and extra hassle.
Short Actionable Guide on How to Pressure Wash Your Deck
Blow of Debris with Blower
This step is necessary because in some occasions there is a lot of debris, dust and pollens that can easily and quickly be removed from the deck. Then when you start to power wash, you will be dealing with the hard layer of dirt instead of mashing dust and other debris with water spray. Now if you don’t have a blower, you can skip that step and go straight to next one.
Start With the Railings
Pressurewash the railings with stripping agent. Keep the nozzle at around 10 inches from the wood. Scour corners by spraying balusters on two sides at once.
Clean the Gaps Between the Decking
Use a putty knife to dig out the grime. Don’t spend to much time on it, because in a later step you’ll need to do that again. Just pick of as much as you can.
Start with the Power Washing
Select the right nozzle and choose the right pressure. This are the two components that you need to get right in order to successfully clean your deck. If you are not sure what to do make a small test with different nozzles and different pressure on the on a small surface typically on the edged of the deck. Once you got that right. Start washing. Don’t spend to much time on a little detail because you will wash it again after you apply cleaner.
Apply a Cleaner
There are special products designed for decks based on a different chemical, you have to do some research to find out which product is most suitable for your type of wood. Apply those with a brush, or use your pressure washing machine to spray it all over the deck. Wait as long as the vendor of the product recommends. This product needs time to dissolve all the dirt.
Final Power Washing
At this point you will know on what PSI to run your machine, what nozzles to use, and with what tempo to wash. After the cleaner had done its magic, you will see noticeable difference from the first time you washed the deck. Take your time and slowly and methodically wash every inch of the deck. Just make sure to keep the distance of the nozzle and the wood pretty much the same at all times. You want thing to be even.
Finishing touches
Attack stubborn stains and spot with a hand brush. Use some of cleaner agent you used for the previous step or non-chlorine bleach. Rinse with water, boom, done.
Oh yeah if there are nails that sticks out just hit them back again. Just drag your hammer sidewise over the nails, you will instantly feel if some of the nails has started to come out. Just hit it few times to put it back to its place and that’s it.
These types of professional services are now very available. Chicago Racoons Power Washing is renowned for providing these kinds of pressure washing services since years, we took some of the tips from them. Undoubtedly hiring professional services like this to wash the deck of the house once or twice a year is a great investment.
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