Dirty Decks
Published 11:07 am Thursday, September 24, 2009
When decks begin to look dingy and water soaks in rather than beads, it’s time to refinish. On average, most homeowners will need to clean and refinish decks every two to three years. This can vary with the deck’s location and the amount of rain and sunlight it receives.
Not surprisingly, the more often a deck is cared for, the less work each job will entail. Also, if maintained regularly, refinishing is a job that homeowners can easily handle themselves in the course of just two afternoons, with time to dry left in between.
The biggest problems decks face are mold, moss and algae. Left untreated, these contribute to rot. Even after just a few years, they can work their way down into the wood grain, leaving the deck permanently discolored.
If the deck has reached the stage where wood has been deeply discolored by algae, it is better to call in professionals. The only way to remove deep discoloration such as this is to actually resurface the wood rather than clean it.
To determine whether deck refinishing is a job for a professional or a do-it-yourself project, homeowners should sweep and hose the deck then carefully inspect it. Uniform surface dinginess is easy to put right. Obvious stains, possible rotten wood and decks that have previously been painted and require stripping are better left to a professional.
Refinishing a deck requires at least two separate work periods. The first morning or afternoon should be devoted to cleaning the deck. Because the wood will be very wet after this, several days to a few weeks of drying time will be required before applying any treatments.
“As far as cedar decks go, if you’re going to clean them, spray diluted bleach water on them and wash with a good stiff brush,” said Travis Hendrickson of Four Seasons Roofing.
Jerry Remington, owner and operator of Remington Services, an Everett firm that restores decks, agrees. “I put Clorox liquid bleach mixed in with my water, let it soak in, and clean it with a hot-water pressure washer.”
Extreme care must be taken if using diluted chlorine bleach to clean decks. While it will kill algae, it is also extremely caustic, even when diluted, and can burn skin and damage clothes. Too strong a mixture and it will also damage the wood of the deck and alter its color. It is also bad for the environment and can kill surrounding plants.
A better choice is a diluted oxygen bleach product rather than a chlorine bleach product. While these still need to be handled with care, they are much safer and less caustic. In the environment, they break down into less dangerous substances, and so are safer. Oxygen bleach-based cleaners include Deckbrite and Oxy Mold.
Care must also be taken with the pressure washer. Bigger is not better. Too much pressure, or pressure used incorrectly, can result in considerable and costly damage to the wood. Lower-power pressure washers, carefully used, are perfect for homeowners to blast off surface scum.
Sales associates at both Total Rental Center in Everett and Home Depot’s Rental Center recommend no more than a 2,000 psi pressure washer for the home deck refinisher. Anything higher than that can damage the wood. Both stores rent these out for about $65 per day.
Homeowners may want to consider purchasing a pressure washer. A pressure washer rated at 1,800 – 2,000 psi, one that is suitable for most home tasks, costs between $100 and $200, about the equivalent of three rental periods. Since they are handy for cleaning driveways and mossy walkways as well, it might be a good investment.
Because of the danger of marking the wood, it is important to take care when pressure washing. Always follow a sweeping pattern.
“You want more water than pressure,” Remington said. “Take it one board at a time and make it a smooth stroke.”
After the deck has been washed, allow it to dry thoroughly before moving on to the next step. This can be as little as a few days or as long as a few weeks, depending on the weather and how much water the wood absorbed. When dry, it’s time to seal or stain.
“With raw wood we can use Thompson’s Water Seal or stain,” Hendrickson said. Plain water seal will protect the wood by helping to repel water. It allows the natural beauty of the wood to show through.
“If it’s really beat up bad, I suggest staining with a solid stain,” Remington advised.
Stain can cover many blemishes. The beauty of it is that you can stain the deck again and again without ever having to remove the old stain.
“What you never want to do is to paint,” Remington said. “It will not stay on the deck for very long. It will peel and then you have a big mess, and it takes a lot of time and effort to get the paint off. Wood expands and contracts. That’s why the paint peels.”
After staining, you can apply water seal to repel water, although many stains have sealers mixed in.
Remington Services
(425) 754-7096
www.remingtonequipment.com
Four Seasons Roofing and Remodel
(425) 388-9906
www.fourseasonsroof.com
Total Rental Center
9217 Evergreen Way
Everett
(425) 353-4102
www.totalrental1.com
Home Depot Rental Center
11915 Highway 99
Everett
(425) 267-0337
www.homedepot.com
