How Much Pressure Should I Use To Clean My Cedar Deck
Cedar Deck Maintenance: How To Pressure Wash A Cedar Deck
Summertime's a comin' around the mount as she comes.
Have you been putting off your cedar deck maintenance?
Got some mold and mildew buildup?
It'due south alright, it happens to the best of united states of america. Especially if your deck faces North. We've already taught you how to protect your deck in the wintertime , so now stop being lazy and let's learn how to pressure launder a cedar deck and get it fix for your adjacent BBQ!
Those Leaves Are Killing You!
A quick word of caution before nosotros go going. Old, wet leaves left on the surface of your cedar deck are the biggest crusade of damage and dirtiness.
They will go down in the cracks between the boards and accelerate decay.
It'south good practice to effort to sweep your deck at least once a week to keep the leaves from edifice upwardly. A couple of minutes a week can add a couple of years to your deck's life.
Materials :
- Power washer with 25 and 45 caste tips
- Deck stripper ( sodium hydroxide based )
- Deck Brightener
- Sealant
Decks have a hard life sitting out exposed to the elements yr-round . It's no wonder that they need a petty TLC from fourth dimension to time. Doing information technology yourself can take you from $500-1000 for a professional cleaning to less than $200 to do it yourself.
I know which method I would cull.
I'm going to assume in this tutorial that you haven't done anything to your deck in a while and it's accumulated so nasty stains. We're going to take it from zero to hero!
I'll make annotation of unnecessary steps for those of y'all that merely want a bones cleaning.
But Beginning…
Power Washing Your Cedar Deck
Annotation: RealCedar.com advises against power washing your cedar deck because it can strip the softwood. Like most things, though, this advice is dependent on your situation. Many people still choose pressure wash their cedar decks, and therefore we are giving instructions to those who choose to do then. Nosotros've tried to requite instructions the best we tin can on how to safeguard confronting any consequences of power washing, just retrieve: with nifty ability (washing) comes peachy responsibleness.
Rent a Pressure Washer
Ok, first y'all want to rent your power washer if you lot don't already have one. Y'all can get one locally at Habitation Depot or, if yous similar to shop locally, you can try Arapahoe Rentals in Littleton .
You lot want to get pressure washer that allows for the use of chemical cleaners. They should have one. Y'all likewise desire ane that can attain 1200psi , which isn't likewise high, but whatever higher and yous will start to strip wood. This is one reason some don't like to power wash their decks.
Plenty of people do, though, without a problem.
You tin can get a power washer for almost $forty/day.
K et Your Chemicals
- Deck stripper : This part is for those that have permit their deck become and have old stainer or bad stains that they want to remove. Yous use a deck stripper when you have some tough build-up to remove. Check to meet if yours is pre-mixed or needs to be diluted .
- If this is a lighter job then you can but get a bones eco-friendly deck cleaner .
- Deck brightener: Once again, this is for those out there that desire to do a thorough job and restore their cedar deck to like new quality. Deck brightener will give the forest its original smooth dorsum earlier staining.
- Cedar Sealant and Stain: this transparent sealer and light stain will darken your newly brightened cedar deck boards to a cute, natural colour. A transparent sealant with no stain will protect the wood only allow it to turn that rustic silverish grey. Or choose a darker stain that you like.
Have Precaution
While many deck strippers are not harmful to plants, some are. It's probably a skilful idea either way to heavily water your surrounding plants and grass and throw something over the nearest plants that might get hitting past spray. Also wet whatsoever siding that may become hitting past offspray.
Downward to Business concern
You've got your deck stripper loaded up, the power washer connected, goggles on and y'all're set to go.
Put the 25-30 degree tip (which at the right distance will be well-nigh the width of a deck board) on the wand and fix the washer to 750-800 psi to start and turn it upwards no college than 1000 psi if you think yous need more pressure. It's best to commencement with the stairs, if yous have whatsoever, in society to become accustomed to the power washer and adjust your force per unit area and distance appropriately. It's much easier to change a 2 ft. stair board than a sixteen ft. deck lath. One time you feel comfy, movement on to the railings and bannisters and work your way down to the deck boards.
Keep the wand about ten inches away from the wood and try to keep steady momentum. Hovering over the same spot for also long will exit yous with streaks that will accept to be sanded out. Try not to turn up the pressure to obliterate difficult stains, only go over them a few times. Any that don't come out can exist scrubbed away afterwards with a brush and cleaner.
After the railings and banisters, move to the deck boards. This is the fun role where you actually get to see the fruits of your labor wash away the grime.
You tin can use a feathering technique, which volition help foreclose streaks, for the deck boards.
"Feathering"is a technique that may aid you mask the starts and stops of the sweep. With this technique you want to overlap the areas previously swept, making sure that the point where the nozzle is closest to the wood begins at the point where the sweep ended on the previous stroke. Ever working with the grain or the length of the board, this technique requires more than strokes and is slower just does an exceptional job. It also ensures that as much of the cleaner is removed/diluted as possible. Backlog cleaner left on the deck surface can accept long lasting and detrimental furnishings. Feather is the about efficient method for using a pressure washer on a deck surface."
http://www.decks.com/how-to/xiv/using-a-pressure-washer-to-make clean-a-deck
Give your deck a rinse with pure water when youre washed to dillute the stripper a chip and wash any that might have hit your siding.
Burnish Your Cedar Deck
At present switch to the deck brightener and put the twoscore-45 degree tip on the wand and change the pressure to 1000 psi. Power wash your cedar deck like you did with the deck stripper, starting with the railings and bannisters first.
Deck brightener doesn't need to be washed abroad after, but you should rinse your siding again. The brightener but takes a affair of minutes to work, and you should see some dramatic changes in your cedar or redwood now.
Give Information technology A Once Over
Now's a good time to requite the deck a once over to look for protruding nails or screws that demand to be replaced. Nosotros like using powder-coated screws on our natural woods projects considering they won't rust and bleed onto the wood.
This is as well a good time for you to replace any boards that need to be replaced. That's when you come to come across united states and option up some kiln-dried cedar decking (flash wink).
Staining Your Cedar Deck
You should always wait 48 hours to let your deck fully dry out. If it rains in that time then you have to await another 2 days before doing it. Y'all don't desire to stain in full sun, and so endeavor to practice it in the golden hours of the morning or evening.
Using a stain application pad volition make life easier for you. Connect it to a broom handle and save yourself some dorsum pain.
As usual, start with the railings and bannisters. Try to apply the sealer/stain with a steady motion and remember that the stain volition darken if you repeatedly get over the same expanse. Smooth out any drops that fall to the deck to preclude spotting.
Movement to the deck boards side by side and try to complete a whole lath in one sweep. Having to start and stop will leave obvious areas of overlap. You desire to soak the pad, but non to the point of dripping.
When you completed the deck boards grab a castor and practice the difficult to reach places and whatsoever bear upon up that you demand. Be strategic about this because you don't desire to walk on the new stain for about 48 hours.
Decision
Grab yourself a beer and bask in the compliments from your wife or married man. Y'all showed that deck who's boss and it looks crawly over again! Besides, be content that you won't have to exercise that again for a long time. And by then you lot can probably get your grandkids or children to do it.
We hope this was useful, and always encourage you to share it if you liked it and to give us a telephone call with any questions that you lot might have.
Source: https://www.rmfp.com/blog/2016/06/16/cedar-deck-maintenance-how-to-pressure-wash-a-cedar-deck/
Posted by: malavereceepland.blogspot.com
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