According to some research, a deck attached to your home can increase your home value by about $10,000.
If you’ve installed a deck in your home, you might notice that it’s a little bit dirty. However, cleaning it is really easy with a pressure washer!
But if you’re wondering how to power wash a deck, make sure that you keep reading to find out how!
Get Your Tools and Equipment
First, you need to start off by finding all the equipment and tools you’ll need to clean your deck.
The most important thing you need to do is to find a power washer. You can rent these or buy one, but make sure that it has a rotating or fan tip.
You should also get some sandpaper, a deck cleaner, and possibly a deck brightener if you want it to look even cleaner.
Make Sure You’re Safe
Next, you’ll have to ensure that you and anyone who is helping you safe.
Power washers can actually be really dangerous because they produce streams of high-pressure water. For example, make sure you never touch the spray and don’t point it at anyone.
It can really hurt someone if you point it at them, but it can also damage parts of your home or any plants.
When you are power washing the deck, wear the appropriate clothing. Do not wear flip flops or shorts. Instead, find shoes that are closed, wear eye and ear protection, and also wear pants.
You also might be tempted to use a ladder to get the best angle, but this can be dangerous. Pressure washers can produce a lot of kickback, and if you’re not ready for it, it could knock you off the ladder.
Prepare the Deck
Once you have these safety tips in mind, you can prepare the deck for cleaning. Remove any object off of it, including plants, furniture, and a grill.
After that, do a quick sweep to get rid of any leaves, sticks, and dirt that’s sitting around. The dirt that is set into the deck is the dirt that you should focus on.
If your deck is older, you should check to see if there are any hazards, like a nail sticking out. If there is, you need to set them back in so that you don’t accidentally step on them while you’re washing your deck.
If you feel like you need to clean part of your deck before you pressure wash it, you can also use a cleaner that will help to loosen some of the dirt and grime. This will make it easier to pressure wash the entire deck without having to stop and scrub.
Choose the Right Setting on the Power Washer
One last thing to consider before you use your power washer is to make sure that you have the right setting and the right spray tip on the end.
If this is your first time using it, make sure that you put it on the lowest possible pressure. Depending on what type of wood your deck is made from, you should make sure that you don’t use too much pressure.
For example, if you have pine or cedar, the pressure should be no higher than 500 pounds per square inch (PSI).
If you want to reach more areas, you should attach a fan tip to the end of it. Make sure you test all of this out on a random place in your yard that won’t be easily damaged. This way you can adjust it all and also not ruin your deck.
Start Power Washing
If you find that you need more pressure, you can increase it a little bit at a time. Pull the trigger and point the wand a few feet from where you’re standing. You can use several different techniques to clean the deck.
Don’t pivot your arm back and forth because you won’t get a consistent clean if you do it that way. Instead, move your arm back and forth in a lateral motion.
One of the two different types of techniques you could use to clean the deck is feathering. This is where you overlap areas that you previously cleaned so this way you know that you got every possible part of the deck.
You could also try using a long sweep method. When you do this, you put the fan tip closer to the surface and then walk it around the board. The tip should be in the same direction the whole time.
You may need to do this several times, but you’ll have a clean deck by the end of it!
You should start at the part of the deck that is closer to the house and then clean outward from the house. Follow the grain on the wood and clean in that pattern so that you don’t ruin it.
If you have some mildew or stain that is being stubborn and won’t come off, you can mix a cleaning solution together to use while you spray.
Learn More About How to Power Wash a Deck
These are only a few things to keep in mind when you’re wondering how to power wash a deck, but there are many more tips you should be aware of.
We know that it can be stressful trying to make sure that your property is always looking clean and up to date, but we’re here to help you in any way we can!
If you feel like you need help or advice, make sure that you contact us as soon as possible!