Depending on the size of your deck, cleaning it is no small task. Here at Alder and Oak, we specialize in cleaning your decks. Throughout the year we are often called to by new customers who want to brighten up their deck with a good wash.
Most homeowners take the hose or a pressure washer and clean their deck off about once a year. This isn’t a bad way to do it, and it can be fun. Hell, who doesn’t like pressure washing dirt, grim, and debris off of something and watching the satisfaction of a pressure washer remove it within one easy stroke?
But, what is the proper way to do it? What is the "contractor way" to freshen up your deck with a wash? We first have to figure out what type of material your deck is made out of. Is it wood, composite, aluminum? For wood decks, a simple pressure washer (no more than 3100 psi) will take away almost any dirt and grime from the deck surface. The important thing with wood is to make sure you do not indent the wood with the pressure washer. Most wood decking is made out of soft wood. Meaning cedar and redwood can dent very easily. Taking the pressure washer and having the tip set a zero degree will blow right through the wood or at least make a huge dent in it. Go for a wide degree nozzle and hold the pressure washer back at arms or chest level. This will give you the right amount of pressure with the right amount of water span.
Composite decking is way different than wood decking. Taking the pressure washer to it, sometimes does nothing. Depending on what debris is actually on the deck and the climate you live in, will determine what you need to get the deck actually clean. Here in the Idaho and the northwest you will need to have something more than a simple pressure wash to get your deck back to new. The simplest and cheapest way to conquer t
his is to get some warm water and a soft bristle brush. Anything and everything within the embossing pattern will soon disappear with a quick scrub of a brush. Almost anything, well almost anything, that is on your deck (soil, dirt, debris, mold or mildew, etc.) will come off with a brush and some soap. For hard set stains or for decks that might require a little more solution to fix the problem, Trex makes a solution, as does almost very other decking manufacturers out there. This will be your best route to go if you have some harder stains. However, you will still need to scrub it with a brush or at least with a broom.
My favorite way to clean a deck. I use Trex cleaning solution. I spray down the entire deck with water. Than add this solution to the mist sprayer on my pressure washer. Spray the deck down with the solution. Scrub with a large broom that is formatted for removing stains with a soft bristle, and then pressure wash the deck off with just water. In average, and depending on square footage, it only takes me a couple of hours to complete this task. It's important to note that if you have an older generation of Trex, it's best to not use a pressure washer.
Don’t you hate it when you are grilling some burgers and one slips off your spatula right onto the floor? Any hard stains such as: oil, grease, etc. should be tended to right away. Most of the time, homeowners will neglect to take care of the oil or grease right away and will tend to it several days later, not only does this usually void the warranty on lots of composites from the manufacturer but it also is nearly impossible to get completely out. When in doubt, if you have an oil or grease stain, tend to it immediately as best as possible.
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