 Pressure Washing Your Deck & Fence
Blue Sky Power Washing is a technically trained group of service professionals in the area of power washing, pressure washing, softwashing, and steam cleaning of all kinds for surfaces. Like anything exposed to the elements, your outside wood surfaces get dirty and need a good cleaning from time to time. These can include decks, fences, and even outside walls. The best time to perform wood cleaning is before damage starts to appear. Loose nails, warping, and fading are all signs of trouble. You will want to pressure wash your wood to clean it, and then treat the wood to prevent damage.
Use your pressure washer to clean your wood, using a cleaning agent. It will not fade your wood, and its use makes it very easy to perform any wood cleaning that you need to do. Not only will it clean the wood, but it will brighten it as well. Blue Sky will use a wand and washing tip which will provide a safe yet thorough cleaning.
We take care not to damage the wood. If it is hot and sunny out, we will be sure to rinse off any cleaning solution from the wood every 10 to 15 minutes. We will then go over the entire surface again with fresh, clean water. After your wood cleaning is finished, always allow 24 hours for the wood to dry before applying any protective finish.
Regarding proper fence cleaning, any wood left exposed to the outdoor elements over time will cup, crack, and warp. The two most common natural enemies of wood are sun and rain. Sun breaks down the surface fibers, causing the wood to weaken and turn gray during the process. Rain causes the wood to swell excessively, eventually leading to the breakdown of the internal fibers. Once this happens, the wood becomes spongy and weak.
Obvious signs of trouble are:
Grayed surface (sun, or UV damage)
Warping and cracking (water damage)
Loose nails (a sign of excessive swelling and shrinking)
Proper fence cleaning:
a) Eliminates dirt, mildew, mold, and algae
b) Opens the pores of the wood
c) Balances the pores of the wood so that the sealer bonds to each fiber.
Choosing the right cleaner is not as easy as you might think to power wash fences. For example, most deck and fence cleaners are either acidic or alkaline. Many home improvement stores recommend acid-based cleaners to power wash wooden fence because they are less dangerous than most alkaline for the averageperson to handle. Unfortunately, they are also quite a bit less effective. At Blue Sky Power Washing, we offer a biodegradable cleaning solution that is natural, consumer-friendly and a lot more effective.
Basic recommendations when washing a fence using a cleaner, brightener or stripper is to avoid having the product dry on the surface of the wood. This can leave residue and prevent proper adhesion or absorption of sealers. Blue Sky rinses it off within 15 minutes. This will bring back most of the natural color of your wood, making the fence look fantastic. After we allow the cleaner to do its work, Blue Sky will rinse again with the power washer.
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