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| It may be hard to believe, but the weathered decking beneath Ron's feet once looked like the new sample of wood in his hand. |
Over time, the cycle of repeated rain soakings and drying can cause decks to splinter, warp and crack. |
When the sun comes out, it doesn't make things much easier for wood, however; the sun's ultraviolet rays deteriorate and discolor wood. |
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| The first step in an effective deck restoration is power washing the wood, flushing dirt from the cracks and grooves in the wood. A power washer boosts your household water pressure up to 30 or 40 times. |
For decks that are dirty but otherwise in good shape, a power wash can be a simple and fast way to clean the surface without the need for soaps or detergents. |
Be sure to keep the nozzle tip 12 - 24 inches away from the surface and maintain a sweeping motion. It's possible to actually cut into, or etch, the wood, if the tip gets too close, as shown here. |
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| Sometimes, a power wash isn't enough to bring back the vitality of the original surface. This sample was power washed and still has some stains and discolorations in the wood. |
In this case, it's time to try a deck wash and brightener. These are usually a combination of detergent and some form of bleach that can lighten the wood and even out their tone. The fastest and easiest way to apply them is with a pump sprayer. |
If you're working in direct sunlight or it's a particularly warm day, wet the surface beforehand with a garden hose. |
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| Begin applying the wash and brightener, working a section at a time. |
Scrub with a long-handled brush to remove dead cells and work the material into the surface. |
After scrubbing with a brush, allow the wash and brightener to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing. This will give the chemicals time to do their work. |
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| Then rinse the wood thoroughly. |
In this side-by-side comparison, the wood on the left was not power washed or brightened. The middle two samples were only power washed, and the sample on the right was power washed, then cleaned and brightened. |
This closeup shows the effect of the brightner on the wood. |
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