“Will it fuzz up the boards?”
That is what too much pressure does to wood, and it is the reason a deck gets cleaner and patience instead of force. Once the grain is furred there is no undoing it across a whole deck.
Most people write a deck off long before it is finished. The gray on the surface is oxidized fiber and the green is algae living in it, and neither one goes very deep. Underneath is the same wood that went down when the deck was built.
A wood cleaner lifts both out, and what comes back is real color rather than a coat of something covering the problem up. If you were planning to stain, this is the step that has to come first anyway.
The same four steps on a deck, a fence or a gate.
Species, age, and whether the existing stain is sound or already failing. That sets the pressure.
Beds, grass and anything planted along the deck or fence line gets soaked before any solution is mixed.
The cleaner does the work and gets time to dwell. Pressure only as much as the boards will take.
Rinsed the length of the board so there are no lap marks, then a walk-around together.
Same angle, same framing, no filters.
Drag any slider to see the difference
That is what too much pressure does to wood, and it is the reason a deck gets cleaner and patience instead of force. Once the grain is furred there is no undoing it across a whole deck.
Usually not. Gray is oxidized surface fiber, not rot. Rot is soft underfoot and shows at the joists and post bases. Brad will say plainly which one he is looking at.
Everything along the deck and fence line gets soaked with plain water first and watered again after. Only the amount of cleaner the wood needs gets used.
Brad did an awesome job on my old, very dirty, moldy, mossy retaining wall. He even took extra care to protect my plants and bushes. Courteous, efficient, prompt, an excellent communicator.
He laid out all the options and services available to me, but I never felt like there was a heavy hand directing me to the most expensive route. The quality was exactly what I was hoping for.
Very professional and thorough. Attention to detail was very evident and I would absolutely recommend Pristine.
Unlike siding, a deck absorbs. Every rain soaks in and takes days to leave, and that is what algae and mildew need to establish.
Water inside the board freezes and expands all winter. Each cycle opens the surface a little more, which gives the next season’s growth somewhere to sit.
North-facing decks and fence runs under tree cover never dry properly. Those are the ones that go green first and stay slick longest.
UV oxidizes the top layer of fiber to that familiar silver-gray. It is shallow, and it comes off — but it is why an untreated deck looks a decade older than it is.
It will if the pressure is wrong. Too much force on wood raises the grain — the soft fiber between the harder rings tears out and the board goes fuzzy. You cannot sand that off a whole deck. Wood cleaner does the work here, with only as much pressure as the boards will take.
Usually, yes, if the stain is still sound. If it is already peeling or failing in patches, cleaning will lift the loose parts, which is what you want before recoating. Brad will tell you which one you have before he starts.
No. A clean deck is a clean deck and plenty of people stop there. But if you were planning to stain or seal, this is the step that has to happen first, and the wood needs a few dry days after the wash before anything goes on it.
The same day for walking on it. If you are staining, give it two or three dry days — wood holds water longer than it looks, and stain over damp boards will not last.
Vinyl fencing gets the same low pressure soft wash as siding, and it comes up white again. Composite is different — it has a thin color layer that too much pressure cuts right through, so it gets solution and the gentlest approach that will work.
Send this over and Brad will get back to you, usually within a few hours. Every deck is looked at in person before a price is given — no phone quotes.
Monday–Friday 8:00–5:00Saturday 9:00–4:00 · Closed Sunday and holidays