Before you apply any type of painting, staining, or finish to the wood deck, you need to remove any the existing finish that is starting to wear off and also give the deck or porch a good clean. Here are 5 simple steps on how you can properly clean your deck before painting or staining it.
Step 1:
is always Safety! The first thing a pressure washer will do is strip the finish off of your deck and even damage the wood if you are not careful. That is why you must wear Safety glasses, gloves, ear plugs, and cover your skin.
Step 2:
is to remove the deck attachments or furniture. It is best to keep a pressure washer at least 2 feet away from your deck and at least 6 feet away from any deck railing. Also let the grass grow taller than the deck so you do not damage the lawn.
Step 3:
is to prep your deck. If your deck is a solid surface such as Composite or PVC you can pre wet your deck using your garden hose or a bucket of water that can be used to wet the deck before you use the pressure washer.
Step 4:
is to start the pressure washer at a low setting. Depending on the deck surface and what finish you have applied to your deck, the pressure level may vary. If your deck is a wood deck or other product you can use a water pressure of 2500 PSI or less. With the deck still wet, you can move the pressure washer from side to side and move it up and down to clean up the deck. Also make sure you are using the green nozzle that came with your pressure washer and spray at a foot distance from the surface.
Step 5:
Is the final cleanup. We like to remove any debris from the cleaned area and also push away any dirty water using the pressure washer to have a neat looking deck. You can wait for a day until the deck is completely dried to apply your finish or paint.
