Washing your wood deck is necessary in order to prevent mold from growing on your wood and to keep it clean, which increases longevity and helps to protect the value of your Wilkes Barre property. Most professionals recommend routine maintenance on a deck at least once every two years. Sealers, finishes and protectants are usually guaranteed to last about that long, when deck cleaning experts in Wilkes Barre, PA are hired to do the job.
It isn’t absolutely necessary to hire a contractor to clean your decks. Deck cleaning Wilkes Barre, PA professionals are certainly available and may be the most cost-effective, depending on your own skills and experience (that is to say, if you damage your property, the cost of fixing it will likely supersede the cost of a contractor).
If you decide to do it yourself and rent a pressure washer, make sure you have some practice with it before pointing it at your deck. It’s easy to damage wood surfaces with high pressure when water is released at high velocities. Even using the lower end of the gauge can damage or stain your wood deck. The objective is to clean it and restore it, not create a work of abstract art.
Part of your deck cleaning also involves detergents, and knowing what kind of soap to use is as important as being willing to use an appropriate amount of elbow grease. Nylon bristles that are firm enough to dislodge residue but soft enough to keep your wood from being damaged should be used to scrub your wood deck. Cleaning your Wilkes Barre, PA home may involve a little more effort than merely pointing a stream of water at it. This is especially true if you are going to use a garden hose with a spray nozzle on it in lieu of a rented power washer.
Before you do anything to your actual deck, you should find a small patch of wood that is mostly undetectable and test any cleaners or chemicals on it before actually using it. You may also experience with pressure levels as well to be sure you don’t damage your deck.
Many Pennsylvanians opt to hire professional and reputable power washers who have licensing and experience to clean their houses and decks for them. Professionals know how to neutralize the pH in your wood, to reliably test how soft or hard your wood is and what psi setting to use during the process, and which detergents, mold removers, chemicals, cleaners and finishers to use in order to full clean and restore your wood deck.