Serving the Chicagoland Area

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT DECK CLEANING

WHAT IS POWERWASHING?
A high-pressure stream of water is passed through a wand that is moved slowly and carefully, back and forth along the grain, over exposed wooden surfaces to be cleaned. The powerwasher pump converts garden hose pressure of 40 psi (pounds per square inch) to as high as 3000 psi. Pressure is adjusted during cleaning as appropriate to the wood’s type, age and condition.

DOES DECK CLEANING WITH A POWERWASHER REMOVE SEALANT OR DECK STAIN REMAINING FROM PREVIOUS APPLICATIONS?
Sometimes, but often not. In these cases a sealant remover must be applied. The surface is “painted” with the liquid, allowed to dry for fifteen minutes, then hand-scrubbed with deck brushes and rinsed with a garden hose or powerwasher to remove all traces of sealant.

This process is also recommended for sensitive wood surfaces, like cedar, that could be very easily damaged by high-pressure water. In these cases the sealant removal is followed by the application of a brightening agent to offset, or neutralize, the chemical effect of the sealant remover on the wood. Several rinses, and often a light powerwashing, must be applied to complete the neutralization process.

These chemical processes are very messy and VERY HARMFUL TO PLANTS. All care must be taken beforehand to prevent the rinse overflow from falling onto surrounding plant life or pouring into the soil. This should be a serious consideration for the garden owner contemplating the degree of perfection to be achieved in preparing the surface area of a deck, pergola or latticework.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CREW ARRIVES?
Plants and/or areas that ought to be protected from the water stream (or chemicals,
when using brighteners or sealant remover) are relocated, if possible, or covered in plastic.
Plants near the surface to be prepared are covered with plastic fencing and pulled back
and away from the surface area when possible.

High-pressure hoses are brought to the highest level of the building to be cleaned, then lowered to ground level and connected securely to the powerwasher. Garden hoses from the water source are then connected to the powerwasher as well, the water is turned on and the VERY NOISY powerwashing machine engine is started. Several powerwashers are often used concurrently on large projects to minimize completion time.

TENANTS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED IN ADVANCE THAT
HIGH NOISE LEVEL WORK IS SCHEDULED.

WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE WHEN THE POWERWASHING IS DONE?
There is ALWAYS a brightened color change, because a thick layer of the dark, dingy color of bacterial damage, sun damage, greying and seasonal stresses is removed with the high-pressure water. The exact degree of lightening to be expected is dependent upon the wood type,
the age and the condition of the wood.

WHICH SEALANT SHOULD WE USE?
There are innumerable sealant types available, most of which do an effective job of sealing and protecting wooden surfaces. As a general rule, oil or acrylic-based sealants last up to
one to two years longer than water based, but the latter are more environmentally
friendly and require a much easier clean up. 

Within both oil and water based categories, there are clear sealants that allow natural greying
to occur, UV Sunblock sealants that are slightly tinted but highlight the grain for a natural appearance, and semi-transparent and opaque sealants that cover the grain with color,
the first partially and the latter completely. 

Expensive woods like cedar, Western redwood, Ipe or the exotic Brazilian hardwoods are usually covered in a sealant that allows the natural beauty of the wood to show, while chemically treated wood and older, damaged wood is typically covered with a product that will effectively mask the stains.
Most brands offer a broad range of colors from which to choose.

HOW LONG DOES THE SEALANT LAST?
Clear sealants, whether oil-based or water-based, can last one to two years on horizontal surfaces,
and three to four years on vertical surfaces, depending upon exposure. 
Essentially, the darker the sealant's tint, the more pigment it has, so the longer it will last.  

Oil or acrylic-based, semi-transparent sealants can last up to three years, like Sikkens or FloodPro WoodTones, and oil or acrylic-based, solid (opaque) sealants last even longer. 
Water-based sealants, unless specially formulated to react with water (like Cabot’s SPF series or the FloodPro Spa-N-Deck products), can last up to three years, but may require annual touch-ups.   

Many owners of Ipe or Brazilian cherry and redwood decks use a specially-developed clear sealant for hardwoods, like Messmer's, to allow the natural beauty of the wood to show through.  Every Spring, the decks are powerwashed and resealed, and every three or four years, the vertical surfaces are done.

Owners of pressure-treated wood decks (like most three-story porches), want to minimize maintenance while enhancing appearance.  They use a tinted, semi-transparent, oil-based sealant with a three-year warranty, like Olympic's Maximum line of sealants. These decks need to be powerwashed and resealed every three to four years, and every five or six years the vertical surfaces are done.

HOW IS THE SEALANT APPLIED?
Only the exposed surfaces of the wood are sealed, unless otherwise agreed upon, and must be COMPLETELY DRY, usually 24-48 hours after powerwashing or last rainfall. Cabot's SPF series or Flood's FloodPro Spa-N-Deck line is applied while surfaces are wet.
 
ALL SEALANT IS APPLIED WITH BRUSHES AND ROLLERS! 
NEVER SPRAYERS!
 
While spraying is the easiest way to apply sealant, it is virtually impossible
to spray sealant without getting miniscule overspray particles onto windows and walls.  These airborne particles reach areas even blocks away and can destroy the finish on nearby parked cars, coat children’s toys and expensive grills in nearby yards or ruin the paint on siding and garages, costing thousands of dollars to repaint.  The time saved by using a sprayer is not worth the risk of costly repairs or lawsuits from disgruntled neighbors.

Pow! Pow! makes every effort to protect the property and its surrounding area. 
All areas to be protected are tarped extensively and all plants are lightly watered
with a garden hose before they are tarped.