How To Clean Your Deck
Throughout the year, your deck is exposed to damaging light, dropping leaves and moisture. Winter can also leave your deck dirty and discoloured with an unsightly green coating that has built up on the surface in shady areas. Knowing the right way to clean your wooden deck can drastically increase its lifespan.
Depending on what your deck is built from cleaning it is quick and easy with a Water Blaster and the right cleaning products and accessories or attachments.
UNDERSTAND YOUR DECKING TIMBER
As a general rule, you should never use the direct jet of a Water Blaster to clean a wooden deck, it’s risky because the pressure of the nozzle can wash away the wood adhesive and can also cause splinters and make the wood brittle. Knowing your decking timber is the first step before choosing the most suitable cleaning method.
Hardwoods such as teak and oak are robust and hardwearing. They can be water blasted using a wash brush attachment or patio cleaner. Softwoods such as beech and pine, on the other hand, are more prone to damage on the surface when pressure washed, they should be cleaned by hand with a stiff broom and scrubbing brush.
HOW OFTEN DO I NEED TO CLEAN?
Once or twice a year should be enough, most people like to do this at the beginning of spring to get ready for BBQ season. To reduce the build up a quick regular sweep with a stiff broom is a good idea.
HOW TO CLEAN A WOOD DECK WITH A WATER BLASTER
If your deck is made of a hard wood and is suitable for water blasting, pair your Water Blaster with a Flat Wash Brush attachment and you can get straight to work. Simply secure the attachment and set the pressure level. We recommend keeping the pressure low as too high can damage the wooden surface and make it brittle.
You can also use a Patio Cleaner with your Water Blaster as they are designed to clean large surfaces quickly. The patio cleaners have two constantly spinning nozzles, the advantage of this is that the water is not focused for long periods on one point.
OILING YOUR DECK
As a final step, after your deck is clean and dry, we recommend oiling it to guarantee that the wood is properly protected.
Plan your cleaning for when the weather is good and let the deck dry for at least 24 hours before you oil. If the wood is still damp, applying oil could inadvertently trap moisture inside. This will cause the wood to rot over time. Dry wood will also take a new treatment better. An annual coat of oil or varnish will provide protection and ensure your deck looks great.
