How to Clean A Deck

Here are steps on cleaning the surfaces of the wood deck to remove debris, grime and lighter stains.

Supplies are mainly expendable ones:














1) Decide on a order of work sequence. This usually involves working from top, downward.

2) Clean any loose debris from the surface, including any insect webs and fall off from asphalt shingles. A portable blower saves time on this. Any insect boring corridors should be addressed now and you may want to caulk them shut.

3) Take a thin putty blade and clear free the plank gap spaces. This is important to promote circulation in and around the slats and joist areas below. Either vacuum or blow clean as you progress.

4) Mix the cleaning solution, making note of the dilution ratio that is being used; within the range being specified if there is one allowable.

5) Wet any and all plantlife and sensitive areas around the deckspace, including beneath it, if there is a raised platform.

6) Sponge (or pump spray, depending on the expected time interval of progress) onto the woodgrain surface. Let this settle into the wood cells, and then begin scouring the deck rails and spindles. Rewetting a concentrate can reactivate some solutions, generally, but want to keep a slow running hose nearby. It's not unusual to have to make make several passes to clean oils and greyish matter that active ingredients, like sodium percarbonate, tend to draw out. Work in sections, alternating the inner and outer rails sets as you go.

7) Proceed on to the slat walking surface, with a larger deck brush on a handle. The natural fibers do enter the smaller pores better than say, most typical nylon brushes.

8) Base the total cleaning on the total assembly, including any exposed underside, as planned for with the finish sealer. If the underside is to be coated like the rest, then clean it as above. But if the underside is pressure treated and the top is other than treated, you may want to scrub it with a bleach solution and flush afterward.

9) After dry, take a look at all the surfaces. There should be a consistent appearance with all stains, streaks and grime having been gone. Some areas like walking surfaces frequently take a second pass, which comes easier from having been diluted.

If some pieces need replacing due to cupping, for example, at the handrail joints, keep in mind that milled wood which is harvested from different times will have different appearances. Wood that is dull however can usually be livened with a wood brightener though. If there is any rotting, this could be more urgent and here staining might be a consideration unless the deck is relatively recent.

It is important that the specific deck cleaner be coordinated with the type of wood deck. Be it epi, pressure treated, cedar, mahogony or other. Always follow product recommendations. And for working around stronger solutions wear a breathing apparatus.