Deck Power Washing and Staining Services
What you need to know about Deck Power Washing and Staining
These are the major problems your deck or fence might be facing: the stain is fading, water is forming small puddles instead of beading off, the wood is creating splinters, it’s beginning to warp, or the wood is starting to turn gray. These are signs that your deck needs to be power washed and stained. In the later stages of your deck’s life you may need to include some repairs such as tightening the rails or replacing deck boards that have rotted. The change in climate here in Northern Virginia is hard on pressure-treated wood exposed to the elements throughout all four seasons. In Gainesville and across Northern Virginia, temperatures can have a 30-degree swing during the day, freezing your deck at night, then rapidly heating it up during the day. The brutally humid summers in VA don’t help either, baking your deck in the sun all day, which will lead it to dry out causing splinters and making the wood brittle. If you want to wash and stain it you will need to rent a pressure washer. Start by doing some research into what type of equipment is needed to clean your deck properly. A decent power washer could cost from $90-$125 per day to rent and that's not including the cost of any special equipment like extra-long hoses, spray tips, or ladders. If you can find a true professional grade pressure washer, picking up and returning the machine itself is no easy task and requires a truck and at least two people to lift the heavy machinery.
A wood deck for your home is a large investment and staining it is the best way to keep it looking beautiful and at full value. Stain will prevent splinters and rotting wood that make your rails and steps come loose. Many of the other companies in our area just offer an overall service, but then only do the power washing and subcontract the staining jobs to other professionals. Here are some examples of difficulties that other companies run into and are forced to call better professionals, like us: First, as decks get older the age impacts the effect of the chemicals you use to draw out the dirt and the technique you use to apply the stain, because of the way it absorbs the stain and seal into the wood. Second, if you currently have an oil based stain or a solid stain and you don't know what color or brand you used originally, then that will require an experienced eye for color and an in-depth knowledge of the different types of stain products that have been available over the years. Advanced Pressure Washing has the experience and knowledge to resolve these issues.
A wood deck for your home is a large investment and staining it is the best way to keep it looking beautiful and at full value. Stain will prevent splinters and rotting wood that make your rails and steps come loose. Many of the other companies in our area just offer an overall service, but then only do the power washing and subcontract the staining jobs to other professionals. Here are some examples of difficulties that other companies run into and are forced to call better professionals, like us: First, as decks get older the age impacts the effect of the chemicals you use to draw out the dirt and the technique you use to apply the stain, because of the way it absorbs the stain and seal into the wood. Second, if you currently have an oil based stain or a solid stain and you don't know what color or brand you used originally, then that will require an experienced eye for color and an in-depth knowledge of the different types of stain products that have been available over the years. Advanced Pressure Washing has the experience and knowledge to resolve these issues.
What About Power Washing a Composite Deck
Power Washing a Composite Deck doesn't require as much work as a wood deck and fence, but they still need to be cleaned. The composite plastics now used have a porous surface that can collect dirt, mold, oil and grease. Leafs can also add stains to your deck boards when wet leaves are left sitting for an extended period of time. Cleaning some stains requires the experience from working on a variety of different colors, texture and ages of composite decks. Using the correct equipment and mixture of chemicals to remove the stains without damaging the composite plastic materials or stripping the color is not a basic task. Advanced Pressure Washing employees are thoroughly trained to solve these problems correctly.
Getting Your Deck Ready To Be Power Washed And Stained
Every deck job starts with us clearing the deck of your grill, furniture, tables, leaves and any sticks that have fallen in the cracks. This is important because simply moving items from one side of the deck to another risk dragging them across stain that is still wet and will leave streaks. If you don't remove even the small sticks from the cracks, you will create discolored areas where the stick was blocking the stain from completely being absorbed into the wood. Once the deck is clear we can start to prep the deck with chemicals to prepare it for power washing.
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Get Your Deck Staining Price QuoteWashing Old Wood Decks
One of the hardest types of decks to prepare for stain have gone past looking gray and have turned almost black with spots of green on the surface. The green that you see on most decks is algae, and when the deck turns black, the spores for the algae are impeded in your wood. If you have a deck like this, it will become slippery when it rains or gets wet. Many of the other deck staining services will just recommend to replace the deck entirely at a large expense to you with less work for them. At Advanced Pressure Washing we have discovered the "Secret Sauce" of chemicals and treatments that help save your deck, and your money.
Power Washing Your Deck Before You Stain
After the deck has been properly prepared we need to power wash it to remove the top layers of dirt and algae so the stain can absorb correctly to the wood. For power washing we use High Pressure High Water Volume power washers using 4000 PSI pushing out 8 gallons a minute. Now you can buy a power washer from Lowe’s or Home Depot, but they won’t have the high-water volume equipment that its necessary. Even if you get an industrial grade power washer to clean your deck, you will be limited by the water pressure at your house. Do you think your garden hose pushes out 8 gallons of water per minute? That is why you see professional companies with water tanks on their trucks.
Once your decks have had a full day to dry out, we do a touch up of sanding before we stain it. The age of your deck will determine the degree of fuss on the wood. Most of this will naturally lay back down once you apply stain but some jobs may require sanding. At Advanced Pressure Washing, we do not charge extra for sanding, even if we have to spend an extra day hand sanding the deck, keeping our customers money in mind.
Once your decks have had a full day to dry out, we do a touch up of sanding before we stain it. The age of your deck will determine the degree of fuss on the wood. Most of this will naturally lay back down once you apply stain but some jobs may require sanding. At Advanced Pressure Washing, we do not charge extra for sanding, even if we have to spend an extra day hand sanding the deck, keeping our customers money in mind.
What Type of Deck Stain Should You Choose?
Now that your deck has been power washed and it's dried we can apply the stain. First, you will need to choose between oil based and solid stains. Oil based stains allow you to still see the grains in the wood and don't flake off if you drop something on the wood or have pets scratch it. But oil based stains don't last as long and require more frequent maintenance. We also offer custom staining and painting services where we can paint the rails white or match the color to your siding and floor to give it a good contrast.
A long-term maintenance plan for your deck is the best way to prevent damage leading to costly repairs. Our recommended way to apply an oil based stain is to have the deck stained within 60 days of having it built, and then apply satin at the start of April the next year. Once we have a few layers of satin down you would only need to redo it every 2-3 years depending on how long the deck is in direct sunlight, the winter weather of that year, and how much you use the deck. A good solid stain from a company like Benjamin Moore can last as long as 5 years if it is applied correctly using multiple thin coats. Our professionals At Advanced Pressure Washing can do the job correctly for the best long term results for both the deck and your wallet.
A long-term maintenance plan for your deck is the best way to prevent damage leading to costly repairs. Our recommended way to apply an oil based stain is to have the deck stained within 60 days of having it built, and then apply satin at the start of April the next year. Once we have a few layers of satin down you would only need to redo it every 2-3 years depending on how long the deck is in direct sunlight, the winter weather of that year, and how much you use the deck. A good solid stain from a company like Benjamin Moore can last as long as 5 years if it is applied correctly using multiple thin coats. Our professionals At Advanced Pressure Washing can do the job correctly for the best long term results for both the deck and your wallet.
Advanced Pressure Washing is deck power washing and staining company working across Northern Virginia from Gainesville and Manassas to Centreville and South Riding.
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Advanced Pressure Washing 2020