Ideally, pressure washing a wooden deck won't ruin the wood and will etch or erode soft wood fibers. However, when the wood gets wet, the fibers can rise and create a rough surface. This is a particular problem in handrails, where raised fibers can cause chips and require some sanding. The allowable pressure is as low as possible.
While hardwoods can tolerate pressures of up to 1200 psi, softer woods are cleaned with a pressure between 500 and 600 psi. Before starting, they test the pressure in an inconspicuous place on the platform where damage is not conspicuously visible. Remember that a pressure washer is powerful enough to engrave wood if used with too much jet pressure. Once again, for covers made of processed or pressurized wood, a simple pressure wash will work.
The nozzle should not be too close to the wood. To ensure that the spray doesn't damage the wood or chip the fibers, start with a low-pressure nozzle. In addition, cleaning wooden boards along their length avoids any damage. It doesn't matter if you're pressure washing the wood siding, the wooden deck, or even the wooden fence in your backyard; you should be very careful when using a pressure washer.
If you don't do it correctly, you can end up damaging it. Wooden covers are especially vulnerable to pressure washing because the pressure exerted by the pressure washer can cause chips. If there is an area on the deck where the wood is already starting to split, pressure washing will exacerbate the problem and cause the divided area to expand. Electric pressure washers are great for outdoor cleaning, but if not used properly they can damage wood and other surfaces.
If you're preparing your deck for the first time, you'll want to sand it to remove the mill polish from the wood before staining it, but it won't need to be sanded for many years (or ever if properly maintained) if you wash or clean it without a pressure washer. Maintaining your deck with a regular local pressure wash restores its natural beauty and increases its resale value. Whatever the case, performing regular maintenance with a local pressure wash restores the natural beauty of your wooden deck and also increases its resale value. When pressure washing your wooden deck, you'll want to clean the area without ruining or eroding the wood fibers.
It has been said in the above reasons that pressure washing can (and should) be completely eliminated. They're too stuck to peel off by hand, the platform is too soft to peel off without dents with a scraper, and pressure washing them a second time will create even more dirt and leave tons of this behind. Preventing tiger stripes in the first place is a good start, and one more reason why you shouldn't pressure wash your wooden deck. Softer woods should be cleaned with a pressure between 500 and 600 psi, since hardwoods cannot tolerate pressures greater than 1200 psi.
Starting with hot spots or visible edges that require local pressure washing, uniform cleaning is guaranteed. When choosing a professional to pressure wash your deck, don't just choose someone from your local power washing company. If you want a cleaner platform without ruining or damaging wood surfaces, call Peter's Pressure Washing at 813-455-3670.
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