Pressure Washing Wood Decks

Warning!!

Wood is a soft surface. Pressure cleaning should be done with a variable pressure wand that has a valve the technician can adjust to control the stream of water to allowing a low to medium force and prevent “furring” of the wood. The most effective cleaning has the technician following the grain of the wood and cleaning in regular even strokes. Removing the graying caused by sun exposure and the black buildup of mildew can then be done safely.

Three Important Questions to Ask before Washing Wood:

• What species of wood are we preparing to wash? (cedar, pressure treated pine, ipe etc)

• What type of sealant or coating is currently applied to the wood surface?

(oil based semi-transparent stain, solid acrylic stain, paint etc.)

• How aggressive do we have to be to remove this old product and get back to the natural wood finish?

Proper wood restoration requires the use of high quality cleaners during the wash process. "Rip It" is an extremely powerful combination of alkalines and low-sudsing surfactants. It removes even the most stubborn deck sealers, including semi-transparent oils and solid-color stains and paints.  It conquers heavy mold and aids in algae removal.

Below is a picture of a deck being washed with Rip it. This wood deck was heavily treated in the past, by the homeowner, with Thompsons Water Sealer.