Cleaning Wood
The proper way to clean wood is to avoid using high pressure. We realize this goes against many people’s conventional thinking. But a lot of damage can be done to wood by using high pressure. Many decks and fences we look at have damage due to not being cleaned the right way.

The proper way to clean wood is to use a cleaning solution that first kills any mold, mildew, or algae on the wood. It is important to make sure any organic growth is killed so that there is no way for it to start immediately growing again. The last thing we want is for organic growth to occur within a few weeks. Water alone, even if it is high-pressure water, can not guarantee that all the organic growth will be removed. Often, the growth is too deep for water alone to remove it.

After applying a cleaning solution, we use the correct amount of pressure to remove the organic growth as well as any dirt or debris that has accumulated. Depending on the type of stain currently on the deck, power washing the wood will remove the top layer of old, gray wood and open up the wood pores so as to receive and absorb a wood stain should the customer choose to have one applied.

Finally, we apply a wood brightener which restores the original look of the wood. The wood brightener also neutralizes the cleaning solution so that the pH of the wood is returned to normal.

A deck that is recently washed will maintain that look for 6-12 months. Over the year, you will slowly start to see your wood turn gray again and organics start to grow.

OPTIONS FOR PROTECTING YOUR WOOD – SEALING OR STAINING

Sealing Wood
When it comes to protecting your deck, we recommend using an internal wood sealer. This type of sealer protects the wood from the inside-out. It has quite a few advantages, the biggest of which is that it’s a one-time application. Once we apply it, the wood is sealed for good. Another huge advantage is that it increases the life of your wood by 150%. Once sealed, the natural appearance of the wood will last for about 6-12 months at which point you will need to have it washed again.

Advantages
o One-time application that lasts forever
o Increases the life of your wood by 150%
o Retards penetration of grease, oil and acids
o Retards fungus, molding, rotting and warping
o Retards deterioration by weathering
o Permanently strengthens, densifies, and hardens wood
o Leaves a natural look to wood without leaving a film or membrane on the surface

What Kind of Wood can be Sealed?
o Any wood that is gray is a great candidate to be sealed.
o Wood that has an oil-based stain that has started to wear off is another great candidate to be sealed.
o Wood that has a solid water-based stain (it looks similar to paint) can not be sealed because most of the stain will not be removed with normal power washing and thus the sealer won’t be able to penetrate the wood.

Staining Wood
Staining wood changes the look of the wood. While an internal wood sealer doesn’t affect the look of the wood, using a stain on the wood will change the look of the wood. The stain will last around 2-3 years, sometimes longer.

Transparency of Stain
There are many different colors of stain you can have applied to your deck. But there are only four types of transparencies of stain.
transparent:
semi-transparent:
semi-solid:
solid:

Types of Stain
There are two types of stain for exterior wood.
Oil (oil-based):
Acrylic (water-based):

Advantages
o Enhances the natural beauty of the wood
o Keeps the deck from turning grey for a longer period (often 2-3 years)
o Provides additional protection of the wood

What Kind of Wood can be Stained?
o Any wood can be stained.

Cleaning Composite & Vinyl Decks and Fences
Our methods for cleaning composite and vinyl decks and fences are very similar to cleaning wood. We begin by applying a cleaning solution so that any organic growth is first killed before it is removed. Once the organic growth is dead, we use the proper amount of pressure to safely remove any organic growth as well as things like dirt and debris.

Get a Free Quote Today!