Is your wooden deck looking dull and unattractive? You may desire to restore your deck to its former glory and previous durable form but do not know where to start. You can revamp your wooden verandah by hiring professional services in the cleaning industry. Get help from experts who are in business to keep your wooden deck in good and acceptable shape by just washing it.

Wooden decks depreciate if they are not given the appropriate care and are not regularly maintained. Staining, sealing, and cleaning after a good wash can add years to your wooden decks. If you are worried about damaging wood surfaces by washing them incorrectly, we are an existing business that can safely do the washing and restore the former lost beauty.

How To Maintain Your Wooden Decks

Wood surfaces add to the aesthetic value of a place by contributing to beautiful outdoor features for one to sit on and relax. Exposure to environmental elements, regular use, and foot traffic cause the wooden surfaces to change and lose their quality. Excessive exposure to rain and the sun can lead to wood-warping, bending of the planks, and further destruction.

Therefore, it is highly recommended to protect and adjust their lifespan through regular washing and treating. Sealing is crucial in maintaining decks. It prevents wood from swelling by protecting it from sunlight and rain. Sealing also protects wood fibers from shrinking and drying due to exposure to the sun.

A regular wooden deck washing is ideal for that attractive look. However, doing a wash can be labor-intensive and time-consuming. Washing the wrong way can also lead to further damage. 

Steps To Cleaning Your Wooden Deck   

Consider your schedule

The schedule is an important aspect to consider when cleaning wooden decks. Wooden decks that have exposure to pollen, leaf debris, and dust should at least receive professional cleaning twice every year. If you have a deck that stays free from dirt, grime, and debris, you can consider doing an annual wash.   

Prepare and wash

Decks get cleaned through a thorough wash. Wooden deck cleaning is done by first sweeping the railing, stairs, and surface of the deck. By doing so, the deck is ready to get cleaned by removing the grime and dust that sweeping cannot clear. 

Washing can either get done as a soft wash or pressure wash. Power washing with a good rinse can make a big difference on a dirty deck. Getting professional services for cleaning is an effective way to add value and beauty to your outdoor space.

Pre-treat from rotting

If your wooden deck has mold and, algae it is appropriate to treat to avoid rot. Treated decks do not spring back organic growth even after a deep wash. A treatment that can reverse and protect damage is a good use of money.

Use cleaning solution

Once your deck has had a thorough wash, a brush, or spray cleaning solution to not only clean but also preserve the wood. You can use products that have oxalic acid, sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide, or sodium percarbonate.

Products that contain such chemicals remove any stains that may be on the wood. Preferably cleaning done with a mix of the wood bleaching chemicals is ideal. After 24 hours of drying, you can have your wooden deck stained or treated to help protect and weatherize the wooden deck surface.

Soft Washing 

Wooden deck soft washing is a technique used for washing by using a wide spray. The tip of the pressure washer gets replaced by a wider one to widen the spray. Typically, low pressure from this soft wash technique is eco-friendly because it does not strip the protective layer coated on your deck. A unique cleaning solution gets used to attack the grime and dirt on the wooden surfaces.

Wooden deck soft washing is a technique preferred by most people because of how friendly and non-damaging the process is on wood compared to other washing techniques. Soft washing clears every bit of wooden surface covered by algae, mold, and other biological natural growths that make the floor slippery and unattractive.

Soft washing uses low-pressure nozzles on the end of a washing wand or washing gun. Soft washing uses chemicals that are biodegradable to remove dirt and other stains without causing damage to surfaces. Soft washing can get done on fences. Getting this wash not only washes surfaces but also maintains the masonry and paint longer.

Pressure Washing 

Pressure washing is a very effective cleaning method. It, however, requires a professional and not an amateur to do it. Water gets pushed out from one point to the next at a high rate. You can hurt yourself, damage your deck if you cannot control the pressure.

Deck cleaning using the high-pressure technique is effective because of the deep grooves found on wooden decks that are a breeding ground for dirt and germs. It is ideal to hire a professional that can clean and give good results at an affordable cost. Doing the job yourself may not be a good idea.

Pressure washing is ideal when mold, mildew, and algae cover, cannot be removed through scrub or cleaning with household solutions. Highly durable surfaces get washed through pressurizing water.

Compared to soft wash as a cleaning method, pressure washes do not incorporate chemicals or soaps to help with cleaning. Pressure washing only uses water released with high pressure to clean surfaces.

Staining

Deck staining protects your wooden deck from natural wear, water damage, and fading. Ideally, you do not stain your deck when it is not dry. It is ideal to ensure it is dry for best results. If you are not sure whether it is dry enough o stain after a wash, there are two ways to find out.

One way is by measuring the moisture inside the wood by using a moisture meter. Take different probes in different parts of the wood because your deck may not dry evenly. Some points can dry quickly more than others because of their exposure to the sun.

The second way to check for moisture in wood is by giving your deck two to three days to dry completely. If it rains on the day planned for staining, accept that there is a need to wait longer for your wooden deck to dry.

Staining a wet deck will not give you the results you may want. Wood paints are absorbed into the wood because they are pigments mixed in oils. If applied on wet wood, the absorption may not work as expected, and your deck may not look even. Also, you will seal water which can end up leading to mildew, moss, and mold problems. Another result is that the stains can peel or crack when wooden surfaces dry.

You can stain your deck on a warm and dry day to ensure the stain gets absorbed well into the wood. Below are essential points to remember about staining your wooden deck:

• Avoid staining a wet deck to prevent unevenness.
• Remove old stain before washing the deck to create a good surface for the staining.
• Detergent can discolor and damage the wood.
• Allow the deck to dry completely for about two to three days.
• Stain your deck on a dry and warm day.

To find out anything concerning cleaning and maintaining surfaces at home or at the office, whether wooden or otherwise, give Gulf2Bay SoftWash a call today. We are a house and building exterior detailing company that offers all cleaning and restoration services. We are located in Bay Shore, New York. You can call 631-212-1876 today to schedule an appointment.