Professional Deck Cleaning in Delaware
Decks are often cleaned incorrectly by both “professionals” and homeowners. Â
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My Wood or Composite Deck Has Mold and Algae On it
Firstly, composite decks should never be pressure washed under any circumstances. But many homeowners will run to the garage to get their pressure washer. Some “professionals” will do the same. As a result, many decks are damaged by high pressure. At No Pressure we simply spray the deck with a solution that removes algae. Followed up by a gentle scrubbing with a soft bristle brush. Afterwards we rinse the deck with garden hose pressure and it looks like new! This method is called Soft-washing. Pressure washers are intrusive and should only be used when needed.
My Deck Needs To Be Re-Stained
Then your deck needs to be properly prepped in order to have a long lasting finish. In alot of cases a softwashing is all you need to remove the algae and mold from your deck. This is crucial to do before staining or you will trap algae under the stain or paint. Resulting in dramatically shorter life of the finish. If your stain has failed this is not the correct method. Many factors go into determining the proper prep work that must be done to re-finish a deck, if these are overlooked it will not last long. Moisture content is another major concern. All decks should have their moisture content measured before staining or peeling or premature failure can occur.Â
I Have Significant Peeling Across My Deck Or Want to Change Stains.
If your deck is peeling across large sections of the deck. Or you are using a penetrating oil based stain and want a new look, then stripping to bare wood is the answer. This process does involve a pressure washer but used responsibly. Stripping a deck is not done through pressure. Rather it is done using a two part process of cleaners. First a stripping agent is applied to the deck. We allow the chemical to dwell and it breaks down the finish. After sufficient time has passed we LIGHTLY power wash. If the stain does not come up we reapply the stripper until it does. More pressure will only cause damage. After the stain has been removed the stripper must be neutralized. We apply a brightener/neutralizer to restore the Ph levels to normal. This is crucial, an Alkaline deck will not properly accept stain. Once the moisture content of the deck is within range your new finish will bond perfectly and last many years.
How Should I Care For My Deck?
Most importantly never let your stain fail. Avoid stripping your deck, it can be costly. After a stain decks should be softwashed every year or two depending on conditions. This will help the finish last longer. Algae breaks down the stain on your deck. As needed a maintenance coat of stain should be re-applied. This cycle of cleaning and a light coat of stain should keep your deck looking great for years. Eventually the deck will need to be stripped again and the process starts over. I recommend oil based stains for my customers as opposed to water or latex based finishes. A high quality stain is also always worth the added expense in the long run.
