Wood deck restoration is one of the most misunderstood services in the cleaning industry. Most people don’t understand that there is more to deck cleaning than just blasting away at the wood with water and then sealing it. An important factor to remember is that the most common reason a deck sealer fails is because the wood wasn’t prepared correctly. When the wood is not prepared properly the wood deck sealer will not adhere correctly and will fail prematurely.

Wood is soft and may damage easily with too much water pressure, therefore it is necessary to adjust the pressure to achieve the results with the correct chemicals. Various factors will determine which chemicals to use to restore a deck. If the wood is gray from UV damage, a decent deck cleaner should work well. On the other hand, if traces of an old deck sealer are present, then a stripping agent will need to be used to remove all the remnants of the old failing wood sealer.
Once the proper deck cleaning chemicals are determined, they are applied to the wood deck and allowed to dwell. The deck can then be washed with the right amount of pressure using a pressure washer. No more than 1000 psi of water pressure should be used or the wood can be damaged.

After the deck has been correctly cleaned or stripped a pH balancing step is performed. This step is a must to neutralize the caustic cleaning chemicals, preparing the wood for sealer. This neutralizing process is achieved by applying a special mild acid solution to the wooden deck. The deck should is then allowed to dry for a couple of days before being sealed with a quality oil based deck sealer.

You may want to consider hiring a competent pressure washing company to restore a deck properly so it will last. Be sure to ask the contractor the right questions to determine their amount of knowledge of wood deck cleaning and refinishing so you can be sure the you get the quality of service you expect.