I need to clean my deck and stain it. It's never been stained before and it looks rough. I've read different ideas of ways to clean it. Some say to use a power washer on it, others say that causes more harm and just scrub it with a hard broom. How have you done it?
I Guess that a lot of the answer has a lot to do either the Deck is it :’treated? Cedar? Raw wood? I used TWP stain and prep on my decks (weathered PT) after much research
Yup, I’ve done several over the years. Pressure washer and a bottle of cleaner with deck brush as needed. Mostly pressure washer with a wider tip. Start with gentlest tip and progress if needed. At least that’s worked well for me.
I use deck wash bought at a box store, spray it on with a pump sprayer and brush with one of these (not using hard pressure) then hose it off with the garden hose. No high pressure used. Works great. Also use the pump sprayer to apply water sealer/proofer. It's a little wasteful but it's super quick.
Power washer. Go with the grain. Go all the way across the each board, not back and forth or you will get uneven lap lines. Keep the nasal about 4 inches from the boards. You can about a 3 inch wide path. For stubborn spots and stains use a good deck wash. I use sherwin Williams. You might have to do some sanding if the grain gets lifted. Good luck and post some before and after pics.
I have tried pressure washer and have also tried the deck wash products...."restores deck to new condition" type of stuff. By far and by large, the only way I have found that works the best, is to get a scrub brush, bucket of bleach/water, hands and knees, scrub with the bleach/water solution and spray off with a garden hose. The solution is on the strong side, I think I normally use about 3 parts water to at least one part bleach; maybe even a 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water solution. It is a very strenuous/ tedious job, but the results are fantastic! Wet the area where you will scrub first, then scrub away with that strong solution. The black (mildew?) of the wood gets removed and tunrs into a paste that you will rinse off the deck. You don't want to do a large area since this would give the cleaned area a chance to dry before it is rinsed off. About a 3' X 3" seems to work best. You will also scrub away and bit of a tan that you have acquired to this point. Like I say, it is a tedious project that stays with you for a few days after it is done (because you'll be so sore and buggered up) , but you won't believe the results!!!
Power washer to get off the surface/looser stuff and between the cracks. Soak down with a solution of Odorban and keep it damp for 10 minutes or so. Scrub with the grain, then power rinse off. My back porch and deck grow moss/lichen easily since they are on the east side that is shaded by trees, and this does really well getting rid of both the dirt and the flora. It is, as yooperdave says, one of those jobs that you keep being reminded of for a couple of days.
