We’ve created a deck cleaning page for informational purposes.
Deck cleaning is not a stand-alone service we provide. To clarify: we are not in the business of cleaning decks – we are in the business of restoring decks. Cleaning decks just happens to be the bedrock of a proper deck restoration project- so you could say we know a thing or two about the subject given we’ve been doing it for two and a half decades.
We hope this page serves as a point of reference homeowners use to better inform themselves regarding all facets of deck cleaning.
Please bear with us as we roll out a comprehensive page which covers the subject thoroughly. This page will be broken down into sections, so please follow our table of contents above in order to browse through different subjects.
Wood Deck Species & Materials:
Soft Wood Decks:
- Pressure Treated Southern Yellow Pine:
- Cedar
Regarding Softwood Decks: Mostly in the Conifer family – Softwood decks are the most prevalent wood species used for decking in Atlanta. The vast majority of decks in Atlanta are made of Pressure Treated Southern Yellow Pine. Pressure treated southern yellow pine is a softwood that is treated against fungus, treated against wood boring insect attack. It is the most affordable material which to build a deck out of. Although Cedar is used for decking (flooring, stairs, handrails, rail posts) all structural components of decks are made with Southern yellow pine. Softwood decks are rot-prone (especially tops of joists, tops of stringers, tops of posts). Softwood decks require frequent maintenance in order to ward off fungal growth (rot).
Hardwood Decks:
Also known as Brazilian woods – hardwood decks include South American, Central American, Thai, Indonesian, Australian, etc. These woods are usually high-tensile-strength, with tight (pronounced) grain structures. Hardwood decks are really a global product.
- Ipe
- Cumaru
- Garapa
- Jatoba
- Massaranduba
- Purpleheart
- Teak
Regarding Hardwood Decks: These hardwood deck species are highly durable, less prone to rot, require less maintenance than softwood decking (albeit at a price premium).
Composite Decks:
- Trex
- Timber Tech
- Azek
About Composite Decks: Although composite decks are durable, the structural elements of these decks are made of southern yellow pine, and will still require maintenance.
Now that we’ve covered wood deck species, materials let’s move on to the reasons why deck cleaning is important.
Benefits And Purposes For Cleaning A Deck:
- Deck Stain Prep: – Whether applying a solid stain, semi transparent stain, sealer, a deck needs to be thoroughly cleaned prior to applying these finishes. New decks will require a mild wash- ensuring to remove mill-glaze, contaminants. Older decks will require a more robust cleaning method. Cleaning a deck is a VITAL step in the restoration, finishing of a deck, no matter its age.
- Protection Of Deck Finishes: Just because a deck has been stained/sealed does not mean that it will be impervious to mold, mildew, fungal growth. We are unfortunately in Atlanta, which means we get our fair share of rainfall year-round. Mold, mildew, lichen, fungal growth are living organisms which spread during pollen season and further propagate during fall (when leaves fall from trees). It is important to ensure one’s deck is free of these living organisms in a bi-annual (if not more frequent) fashion. Failure to remove mold, mildew, fungus will shorten deck stain life. These organisms feed of stains, weakening them to the point of sealer failure.
- Removal Of Oxidation: Think of oxidation as a suntan on a deck. UV rays over time will give your deck a suntan, as in it will turn gray (if wood is left untreated/without any color stain), cleaning a deck that is oxidized will remove the graying and expose fresh new wood (giving wood a rejuvenated appearance).
- Minimizing Water Collection Zones: Water collection zones are surfaces on decks where water tends to collect, stay wet. These zones are typically found on tops of joists, tops of stringers and are the surfaces most likely to rot if not cleaned regularly. Cleaning between decking boards is an important item to add to any deck maintenance regiment.
- Safety: Deck stairs, ramps, flooring can become slippery with enough mold, mildew, fungus, lichen growing on them. We suggest not only cleaning these deck surfaces, but also installing traction strips (on stairs, ramps) to prevent slipping hazards. Traction strips come in aluminum as well as flexible high-strength plastic. Traction strips are indispensable for stairs and recommend them highly.
- Extending the life of your outdoor deck: It is obvious, but important to emphasize that cleaning a deck regularly is an important step to extend its durability, and will have a positive impact on the lifespan of a deck.
- Prevent wood rot: Removing fungal spores, removing fungal growth is a key step to ensure the elements that cause wood rot do not multiply and thrive on a deck. It is a constant battle as moisture, lack of air movement between decking boards is the culprit for the spread of fungal growth. It is important to clean your deck at least twice a year ensuring to remove the conditions where fungus can grow.
- Curb Appeal: It seems obvious, but home-owners want their deck to look nice. Homeowners want to entertain family, neighbors. Showing off a really nice deck is part of Americana: barbecues on the 4th, labor day, Easter, etc. It is as all American as apple pie.
- Protect your investment: decks are EXPENSIVE!. No one wants to have to rebuild their deck, and the best way to ensure that your deck stays healthy is by cleaning it, staining it regularly.
Deck Cleaning Myths And Misconceptions
There are plenty of myths and misconceptions propagated by many we’ll cover these- and hopefully clear the air about these common deck cleaning myths & misconceptions.
- New decks do not need cleaning prior to staining: That is incorrect. New wood needs cleaning, failure to do so will ensure improper penetration of stains, sealers. It is difficult enough to apply an oil based stain on a new deck when properly cleaned and brightened, it will be impossible if not cleaned and brightened. Cleaning a new deck removes contaminants, mold, mildew spores, fungal spores. Removing prior to staining ensures that no living organisms are trapped under the stain and sealer where they can reproduce.
- A deck needs to be ‘sanitized’. Wood rot is caused by fungal infestation. Fungus cannot be sanitized, you can treat your deck with a Borate salt type product, you can treat your deck with Coppercoat, or any type of anti fungal product. Nowhere in the wood restoration trade is ‘sanitizing’ ever brought up as a remedy for fungal infestation. Why? because sanitizing is a buzzword. When contractors mention sanitizing, when they mention bacteria- you can be sure they’re referring to, and will be using bleach.
- Bleach is safe to use on decks. If a deck is painted, meaning it has an opaque stain then yes, you can use bleach (very mild solution). You should not be using bleach on any raw wood deck surface- as bleach will damage the woods integrity, discolor the wood, raise the grain, cause tannin/tannic issues, shorten lifespan of stains.
- You don’t need to use a wood brightener/neutralizer: The use of a wood brightener should never be skipped. It is a vital step in any exterior wood restoration project. New and older decks will benefit from a wood brightener being used. Anyone who claims it is not necessary either does not know what they’re doing, or doesn’t really care about the quality of work they’re putting out.
- High pressure is necessary to clean a deck: You do not need high pressure to clean a deck. You need 1500 to 2,500 PSI max. We usually use about 2,000 PSI with great results. Using a TON of pressure will result in raised grain (requiring sanding to rectify) and can cause severe damage which may or may not be able to be rectified after the fact.
- Hot water cleans a deck better than cold water: Not true. What cleans a deck effectively has nothing to do with the temperature of the water cleaning the wood and all to do with the chemical/s applied, how these chemicals are applied, how long they’re allowed to dwell, and how skilled, and experienced the pressure washing technician is. Hot water pressure washing equipment combined with high PSI can cause severe damage to a wooden deck at the hands of an unskilled technician.
- Deck cleaning chemicals will kill plants, bushes: No they will not. We always advise customers to water their plants well the night before, the morning of. We water them again prior to cleaning, cover with plastic, then after cleaning we water them again. It is NOT advisable to do this in the hot summer months as the plastic will kill your plants. This method ensures plants are safe.
- Cleaning a painted deck will damage the finish: An experienced deck cleaning technician will gently clean a deck without causing any type of damage. Now, if you applied a water based solid stain over an oil based and are having flaking issues, then yes, you’ll have paint flaking off in large amounts. We always inspect every project prior to cleaning so will point these issues out to you prior work commencing.
- I don’t need to pressure wash my deck until i see mildew on it Not advisable. Once your deck is covered in mildew – mildew has already weakened the stain, sealer or paint. Oil based stains will be affected by mold to the point that stain will wear off by the time deck is cleaned. Water based deck stains will be weakened by mold, and mildew We recommend cleaning your deck twice a year to ensure mold, mildew do not have conditions to reproduce. The battle is constant with decks.
- Deck cleaning is easy, any contractor can clean my deck: Not true- the most difficult surface to clean on a home is a wooden deck surface. This is so because wood is SOFT, and can be damaged if cleaned incorrectly, cleaned with too much pressure, cleaned with too strong a chemical solution, cleaned against the grain. Damage can occur like splintering, raised grain, indentations (washing against the grain), divots, and many other types of damage. Some damage can be rectified, some cannot, so be careful whom you entrust to clean your deck. Check credentials, references, before and afters pictures, etc.
What Makes Cleaning Wooden Decks Different Than Other Home Surfaces?
That Is an excellent question!
As covered in the previous section -there are softwood decks, hardwood decks, and composite decks. Let’s start with softwood decks.
Softwood Deck Cleaning (pine, cedar)
EXTREMELY dirty deck – Tucker, GA – Deck was cleaned & brightened- It required zero sanding to restore. Note: dark marks remaining on grain structure are actually black Fungus that discolored deep in the wood, not mildew, and cannot be cleaned off, nor sanded.
The vast majority of Atlanta Homeowners own a softwood deck.
Be it Cedar, (very soft wood which you can leave a mark with a fingernail) Pine (medium soft wood) these wooden decks suffer severe damage at the hands of untrained pressure washing contractors.
How can a soft wood deck be damaged?
Using bleach on raw wood (bad deck cleaning practices):
Some contractors use a high concentration of bleach (think pool shock strength) to clean decks. They will treat a deck like they do a driveway: Spray bleach all over deck, (allow bleach to dwell) by the 5-10 minute mark (without doing any actual work) it will look much lighter…which in their mind will need minimal cleaning- They’ll half clean the floor so the main part of the deck looks clean-ish, but not touch the spindles, or halfway clean them. Then spray bleach and leave it on the deck so it will whiten some more. Although at first glance a deck cleaned in this fashion may look clean- If you look close you’ll notice that what they managed to do is bleach the wood, If you inspect even closer you’ll notice mold, mildew stains still there- just whitened out. Cleaning cedar or pine decks that are RAW WOOD without any type of stain/paint/sealer on them with bleach is a huge NO-NO. It is (excuse my judgment) lazy, unprofessional, and short-sighted (putting profits before quality) ergo – getting in and out as quickly as possible and on to the next job.
Below is an example of a deck that was improperly cleaned with bleach
Notice: Deck has grey areas, then yellow, then grey. This is a sign of adeck that was not cleaned evenly. If you look closer there is mildew in the knots. Take a look at the picture below: (same pic as above but zoomed/cropped) you’ll notice mildew on the corner posts, mildew on the bottom 2×4, and improper cleaning rails, spindles and floor.
Using bleach on raw wood part two (the damage done to wood, finishes by bleach).
Issue with using bleach on raw wood is: Bleach is a salt (suspended in liquid). If you spray a LOT of bleach on a deck and not remove it completely OR apply a neutralizer Bleach will continue to work in a more concentrated form (a salt). As the bleach puddle dries it becomes more & more concentrated (vehicle/liquid bleach salts are suspended in dry). If you use bleach on a deck and do not remove thoroughly (with plenty of water) OR neutralize, you’ll be ensuring there will be issues down the road. Overusing bleach without neutralizing and leaving on the deck will cause discoloration issues (tannic reaction under stain/sealer) It could happen in a week, two weeks, months, etc. Homeowner will not know these discolorations are being caused by the bleach used, and will just assume it is attributable to something else.
Using bleach on a raw wood deck you’re about to stain will cause the stain to fail prematurely (if not neutralized).
Painters, pressure washing outfits, handymen will not rinse decks with enough water or fail to neutralize a deck after applying bleach. If a deck is prepared in that fashion prior to staining you can be sure the stain will fail prematurely. To clarify: using bleach on a painted deck, or a previously stained deck will not harm the wood as the wood is encased by the solid stain or sealed out by the sealer & stain. Decks that are raw wood should NEVER be cleaned with bleach and should definitely be neutralized and washed with plenty of water if they’ve been cleaned with bleach to ensure bleach latent salts are thoroughly removed.
Using Bleach on raw wood (damage done to wood cell structure by using bleach).
Chlorine bleach, if used on raw wood- will attack wood’s cell walls (lingin) affecting future use of water based, film forming stains such as solid color decking stains, semi transparent water-borne stains. It is important to protect a deck’s lingin structure, as that is what stains will adhere to, if that is damaged you’ll wind up with catastrophic coating failure.
Using too much pressure when cleaning a deck:
A deck should be cleaned with low pressure. Any contractor who touts their equipment is better at cleaning decks because it has X amount of PSI has zero knowledge about restoring decks and should maybe stick to cleaning driveways. You, the homeowner can clean your own deck with a scrub brush, a garden hose, and some mild cleaners (and probably do a much better job than some contractors because you’re doing it conscientiously). In the pressure washing trade – pressure washing machines are measured by cleaning units (psi, gallons per minute)- to clean a deck well all you’ll need is anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 PSI and 3 gallons per minute. Truck mounted machines with 8 gallons per minute and 8,000 PSI are overkill for the purpose- and in the wrong hands can cause substantial wood damage.
Using the wrong sized tip to clean a deck:
We’ve seen severe deck damage due to ill-trained/inexperienced contractors using tips with patterns that were too concentrated. One should never, ever use a yellow, green, red tip. A 40degree (white tip) is what you should be using to clean decks.
Holding the tip too close to wood surface.
Doing so can cause severe. Damage will not be noticed until after application of deck stain. When stain is applied all gouges, pressure washing marks will be accentuated by the stain making them a huge eyesore.
Raised grain:
Pressure washing with too much pressure, pressure washing with too strong a chemical solution will cause raised grain. Raised grain will need to be sanded off in order to rectify- otherwise when deck stain is applied – stain pigments will adhere to raised grain. The entire deck will look splotchy. Raised grain is the second most frequent damage we rectify due to over usage of bleach on raw wood decking. Take a look at this deck that we restored . Previous contractor used too strong of a bleach solution combined with excessive pressure- causing raised grain. This picture is from a distance. Click to zoom in.
Customer contacted us due to the discoloration – this deck was stained recently with TWP oil based stain. Unfortunately the bleach solution in combination with excess pressure were too strong causing severe raised grain, removal of previous stain (bleaching out of wood). Take a look at the picture customer submitted below:
When zoomed & cropped (a more detailed view of what raised grain looks like) Notice the lack of color in wood (bleached out) not yellow as southern yellow pine is supposed to look. This is what bleach does to wood.
Once wood decking has raised grain it CANNOT be stained that way. The small hairs (you see on above picture) will capture the colorant suspended in the stain making the deck look like it has whiskers, hairs all over it. The grain structure will not be visible at all. Deck floors will have a haze from the raised grain. This is one of the most frustrating scenarios we encounter. Customers paying a self proclaimed ‘expert’ GOOD MONEY to clean their deck, contractor causing damage to a deck because they don’t know what they’re doing, then not being able to make things right. To restore this customer’s deck back to its original condition: We neutralized bleach remnantsw, thoroughly sanded every last bit of floor, brightened. Here is a picture from the same angle after sanding:
Note the natural yellow tone of southern yellow pine has been restored, no more pale white wood.
Then same deck after staining:
Now, raised grain can happen when stripping decks due to a deck stripper’s caustic nature. Deck strippers get hot (in order to dissolve stains) making wood surfaces soft, so mixing a stripper with moderate pressure will result in raised grain. We can predict which jobs may or may not cause raised grain and are up-front with our customers, also provide them with sanding costs so there are no surprises. Under normal circumstances when cleaning a deck- there should not be any raised grain whatsoever.
What A Proper Soft Wood (Pine, Cedar) Deck Cleaning Job should Look LIke
Take a look at the below and after deck images – some of these before deck pictures are extreme scenarios and are not representative of most decks. That said, if we can clean decks that are this dirty, you can rest assured Atlanta deck doctor is up to the task of cleaning your deck!
Notice how all mold, mildew, moss are gone. Notice there is no raised grain to be seen anywhere. This deck needed ZERO sanding even though it was GRIMY!
Below comparison is of same deck, alternate view:
Hardwood deck cleaning (Brazilian wood)
A short list of hardwood decks species – Teak, Mahogany, Ipe, Cumaru, Massaranduba, Garapa, Tigerwood, Purpleheart, and many other hardwood decks. These wood species all feature distinct wood-tones, grain patterns, and are a great choice for those who would like the appearance of wood without the worry of wood rot.
Typically the best course of action of a home-owner with an Ipe/hardwood deck is to allow the surfaces to grey naturally, and enjoy the peace of mind the wood’s durability extends, cleaning only when moss, mildew become slip hazards. Most home owners, though enjoy the beauty in these fine wooden decks, and are willing to maintain at the required yearly maintenance intervals (decks that are exposed to the elements). It is easy to make the mistake, though to assume a hardwood deck will not suffer damage from a pressure washer (given the density). Unfortunately, we also encounter many a hardwood deck with severe pressure washing damage.
How Can Hardwood Decks Be Damaged?
Take a look at this short video which illustrates a couple of ways:
Using bleach on hardwood decks: BIG BIG NONO. You NEVER, EVER want to use bleach on a hardwood deck. It will require extensive sanding in order to bring back the wood’s evenness of color, vibrancy.
Using too much pressure and not washing with the grain (as illustrated in above video). This damage can be rectified, but will be expensive as gouges go deep, and wood is DENSE. You can easily spot the damage: There will be indentation lines all over the hardwood decking many going against the grain.
Using too strong a chemical solution: It is always best to use a light a chemical solution than too strong a solution. Many times using too strong of a solution will raise the grain severely – requiring excessive sanding in order to rectify (costly).
Not using a wood brightener: Wood brightener does not equal bleach. There are those who claim they use a brightener, but do not. It is easy to tell when a brightener is being used because it revives the wood like magic, it restores a wood’s vibrancy, brings back its inherent color hid by caustic cleaners. Many times cleaners will darken woods, that’s where the brightener will not only clean but balance the PH of the wood aiding in stain & sealer’s absorption, and a flawless finish to boot.
Using the wrong cleaner for specific type of wood. Teak requires a specific cleaner which is different than Mahogany, different than Garapa. Of all the hardwoods Garapa is the lightest in tone/color, and requires the most careful prep work. That said when a Garapa deck is restored properly it is a thing of beauty!
Roof pressure washing runoff!!! We have encountered MANY hardwood decks that have been severely damaged by roof cleaning runoff. Pressure washing outfits use a very strong chemical (google applesauce roof mix) that runoff winds up on ipe, and other hardwood decks (splashover from gutters), lack of gutters, bad water routing from roofing. The bleach discolors ipe, many times requiring extensive sanding to rectify (costly).
Cleaning a hardwood deck requires skill, it isn’t the same as cleaning a driveway, concrete, or any other exterior home surface.
What A Proper Hardwood Deck Cleaning & Brightening Job Should Look Like:
Take a look at the two before & after sliders. Note that:
- The after pictures illustrate the wood’s natural tones. The wood doesn’t look bleached out, dull.
- There is zero raised grain. This deck was thoroughly cleaned and brightened and had minimal raised grain.
- Using a wood brightener makes ALL the difference!
Ipe Deck Cleaning Project Atlanta: We Cleaned & Brightened Deck – Circa 2021
Hardwood deck (ipe) Atlanta, Ga Before & After Cleaning, Brightening Circa 2021
The difference Using Brightener Makes When Cleaning Brazilian Wood
Hardwood Deck Cleaning Before & After
What Separates Atlanta Deck Doctor Deck Cleaning Services From The Competition?
When cleaning a deck we take many variables into account, such as existing coating/lack of. Surrounding tree canopy (do trees release a mist (such as hackberry trees) which leave black stains on decking)? Excessive runoff from gutters causing mold, mildew issues, underdeck system, A swimming pool close by, a hot tub, etc causing black mold, mildew?
We will never blindly apply chemicals on a wooden deck without first evaluating and determining which chemical will clean a deck most effectively. We don’t browse on over to YouTube, Google, Ask.com, Quora or any other online source. Instead we rely on our 25 years experience in cleaning wooden decks to perfection.
We use low pressure: We ALWAYS allow chemicals to do their part. You’d be amazed what the right chemicals, a scrub brush and some light pressure wash will clean off. Ideally anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 PSI is all the pressure you’ll need to clean a deck. If you are using more than that you 1) need to be using the right chemicals, 2) you’re not allowing enough dwell time, or 3) you’re doing it at the wrong time of day, wrong time of year. Yes, even the time of day or time of year affects how well you can clean, strip, brighten a deck.
When cleaning a softwood or hardwood deck- wood being cleaned should darken when cleaning products are applied, not lighten as what happens with bleach – as illustrated in picture below.
It sounds counter-intuitive, but when applying the right type of wood cleaner, stripper the wood should darken by a fair amount (tannic reaction to a proper cleaner being applied), then as you lightly clean you remove contaminants, soil, weathered stains exposing clean wood.
Lastly we brighten all wood after cleaning. Brighteners return wood to a neutral PH so wood will no longer release tannins (due to cleaning chemicals). Once a brightener has been applied, scrubbed, allowed to dwell you’ll see all the wood grain revived, the wood is rejuvenated, will absorb more stain, sealers and will look great (better than new at times)!
Deck Cleaning Customer Review
Video above – customer was kind enough to rate his deck cleaning experience with Atlanta deck doctor. Atlanta deck doctor is committed to providing best in class deck cleaning to all our Atlanta customers. See why Atlanta deck doctor is the company to trust when cleaning and restoring your deck.
This page is a work in progress, as this is our busiest time of year.
If you’d like more information about deck cleaning (whether you want to DIY), or have reservations about a quote you received from a contractor, you can reach us anytime by filling a contact form, invoking a chat , by calling or texting us at 404.992.4870.
Types Of Decks We Clean
- Southern Yellow Pine Deck Cleaning
- Cedar Deck Cleaning
- Cypress Deck cleaning
- Ipe Deck Cleaning
- Cumaru Deck Cleaning
- Massaranduba Deck Cleaning
- Garapa Deck Cleaning
- Teak Deck Cleaning
- Purpleheart Deck Cleaning
- Rosewood Deck Cleaning
- Mahogany Deck Cleaning
- Gazebo Deck Cleaning
- Covered Porch Cleaning
- Screened Porch Cleaning
- Tongue & Groove Cleaning
- Teak Deck Cleaning.
- Composite Deck Cleaning & Power Wash
If your wooden deck (or composite) needs a deep cleaning Atlanta deck doctor will clean it!
Our Deck Cleaning Services
- Deck Cleaning
- Deck Stain Stripping
- Cleaning Between Deck Boards
- Light Duty Maintenance Cleaning Of Deck Stains
- Painted Deck Cleaning
- Under Deck Cleaning
- Under Stairs Cleaning
- Dock Cleaning
- Deck Brightening
- Miscellaneous Pressure Washing Of Decks
- Deck Stain Prep Cleaning
- Deck Paint Prep Cleaning
- Stubborn Deck Stain Removal
- Rejuvenation Of Wooden Decks
- Arbor Cleaning
- Pergola Cleaning
- Gazebo Cleaning
Our Service Area
- Alpharetta
- Avondale Estates
- Brookhaven
- Chamblee
- Clarkston
- Decatur
- Doraville
- Dunwoody
- Norcross
- Peachtree Corners
- Roswell
- Sandy Springs
- Scottdale
- Smoke Rise
- Tucker
For our entire Atlanta service area please visit our service area page.
Deck Cleaning FAQ'S
Good question,
- Make sure your gutters are the correct size in relation to your roof’s pitch.
- Make sure your gutters are not full of debris thereby eliminating splashover.
- Do not leave area rugs on deck for an extended period of time (deck will remain wet)
- Make sure you clean debris (pine needles, etc) from between boards.
- Clean twice a year (once after pollen season, once after leaves have fallen). You can DIY this.
- Blow leaves off decking in fall (do it daily).
Following these guidelines you’ll minimize long term mold, mildew growth.
Painted decks should be cleaned twice a year as well. You can definitely DIY the cleaning of a painted deck. You don’t even need a pressure washer, just a scrub brush, garden hose , mild soap and a very mild bleach solution. Contact us for instructions on how to gently, properly clean your painted deck.
It depends how old the stain is, if it is oil based, water based, if it is sun damaged. a stain is sound, and done recently it will not come off with a light cleaning. That said , some oil based stains will lighten if washed aggressively with a medium strength soap.
No, you do not. You can clean your deck with a scrub brush, a garden hose, and some elbow grease. Cleaning chemicals will vary depending on what staining needs cleaning, etc.
If the deck has dried properly (moisture level is at 14% or lower) then a light cleaning is recommended.
Even though a deck may be new it does not mean it doesn’t need to be cleaned. Before applying a stain, sealer, waterproofer you want to ensure the surface is as free of contaminants as possible – this includes mold, mildew spores, mud marks, etc that may not be visible until after staining/sealing. We always recommend a thorough cleaning before a stain/seal job.
We can strip off most oil based semi transparent stains. Stripping solid stains is not possible , but most if not all solid stains can be sanded off from flat surfaces.
We always recommend cleaning after pollen season, then doing a light cleaning after all the leaves have fallen to remove leaf mold.
Yes, as long as we can easily walk under your deck we can clean the underside.
It depends. If we are also staining your deck, or painting it then it is advisable to keep off deck until after work is complete, and coating has cured. Please contact us for specific timing.
If The Wood Is Bare Wood We Recommend cleaning, sanding to remove urine stain followed by a D3 PRO Sanitizing wash. After sanitizing consider using a floor and patio enamel, an industrial enamel, or an oil based floor and patio enamel which will hold up well to dog/cat urine. That said, ammonia in urine will attack most coatings (even the most durable).
Depending on how big the paint spatters are they may be able to be stripped off using minimal water pressure. Sometimes the spatter, staining, overspray is too extensive and sanding off is the most economical, safe route as we do not use paint strippers with Methylene chloride.
Yes, we pre and post rinse all surrounding plants prior to and after cleaning of decks.
No, you do not. Decks do not need to be disinfected. There are plenty of off-the-shelf deck cleaners that will remove mold, mildew, dirt without resorting to harsh disinfectants like bleach. If you’d like for us to walk you through how to DIY please send us a message via chat
Yes, pressure washing will remove moss, mildew, thereby fixing slipping hazards from your deck.
Yes, We clean the underside of your deck as well as deck stair undersides.
