As a homeowner, you want the exteriors of your home to look as good and beautiful as the interiors. Hence, maintaining your deck is vital. A clean deck not only looks good, it extends the life of the structure as well. However, when it comes to cleaning your deck, you may not want to use elbow grease as it is time consuming and tiring. So, what will you do? Power washing is the most common way to deep clean a deck, but do the pros outweigh the cons?

To Power Wash or Not
There is no doubt a pressure washer can clean your deck quickly and effortlessly. Hence, it is often the tool of choice when cleaning a wooden deck. But, did you know pressure washers are strong enough to destroy the surface of wood used on the deck? The pressurized water that comes out of the nozzle of the washer can swiftly erode the wood fibers. If the wood fibers don’t get eroded, you could end up with a wooden surface that is rough after the deck dries. So, before powerwashing your wooden deck, it is important to do the proper research as not to damage the deck.

This said, there are some professional deck construction services who claim erosion occurs only when inexperienced homeowners are the reason for damage to a deck. These experts feel this is because homeowners are not used to using the pressure washer. They go wrong because of one of the following:
• Using an incorrect tip
• Keeping the water pressure too high
• Holding the tip of the pressure washer too close to the deck’s surface

The Bottom Line
If you decide to powerwash your deck, make sure you first test the pressure of the water on an inconspicuous corner of your deck. If it hasn’t damaged the deck, go ahead and powerwash your deck. However, if you are unsure, simply call us at Woodscape to learn how we can extend the life of your deck and keep it in it's best shape!

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