Deck Cleaning & Sealing

Make your deck look brand new with deck cleaning & sealing

As a throughway attached to your home, catering to animals and humans alike, the deck can get lots of foot traffic. In warmer months, decks are popular spots for gatherings and celebrations, making them vulnerable to messes, accidents, and spills. Even when everyone is very careful, other things can leave your deck looking worse for wear, such as pollen, leaves, algae, dirt, and animal droppings. No one wants a dirty deck and leaving certain contaminants can shorten the lifespan of the materials. A clean deck is a healthy deck.

How to clean a stained deck

1. First, remove any loose debris, like leaves, seeds, pebbles, and clinging bits of stain or sealant with a brush. For things stuck between the boards, it’ll be dug out with a putty knife or other flat thin tool.
2. Once loose messes are removed, wash the decking itself. The usual tool for the job is a power/pressure washer, capable of stripping away ground-in dirt, pollen, loose paint, splinters, and firmly rooted algae and mildew.

There are many deck cleaning solutions, ranging from homebrewed concoctions to highly commercialized products sold in home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes. The ingredients vary wildly, and there is no one mixture that is regarded as the best. Many are composed of substances like baking soda, vinegar, borax, bleach, and tri-sodium phosphate. There is always an inherent danger when it comes to mixing chemicals by hand, so again, a professional is the best solution.

Seal it up!

The best time to seal a deck is on an overcast, gloomy day, as many cleaners evaporate in sunlight. Depending on the deck cleaner being used and the ingredients of it, you may want to cover any plants around the decking. The cleaner will be spread over the decking with a roller or stiff-bristled brush, and then allowed to set before being washed away. Sealing a deck is imperative to prolonging its functional life, as it can protect the wood from mold, mildew, and ultra-violet light.

Before sealant can be applied, the deck must be sanded to remove any lingering debris or dirt that’s been ground into the wood. Once this is done, the product will be applied with a roller, usually in two thin coats to ensure maximum coverage. Due to the harsh chemicals in most deck sealants, it’s important to always use safety gear, or simply allow a professional to handle this annual task. To keep your deck in the best shape possible, it’s recommended that it should be cleaned and sealed at least once a year.