subject: 8 Easy Steps To Clean And Restore Your Deck [print this page] A wood deck or patio that's dark and dingy doesn't do much to improve the look of your outdoor space. Give your deck a much-needed makeover. Just three products water-based wood clean, brightener and sealer and eight easy steps is all it takes to restore your deck.
Step 1: Begin by mixing a deck cleaner concentrate with water. A deck cleaner concentrate will help to remove dirt, tree stains, pollen, algae and mildew from the wood. Pour two quarts of warm water into a deck sprayer and add the cleaner concentrate. Stir the mixture thoroughly with a piece of wood before assembling and pumping the sprayer. Also be sure to wear protective covering on your eyes and hands.
Step 2: Spray the deck cleaner over a small area of your deck. With the nozzle held a foot from the deck's surface, spray in smooth and even strokes, overlapping each one. Work in small pieces, about 20 to 30 square feet of deck. Thoroughly wet the wood without pooling the liquid. Let the cleaner soak in for about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Work the cleaner into the wood with a synthetic-bristle brush. Work with the wood grain and scrub the treated area. Apply gentle pressure to agitate the solution and work it into the deck surface to lift the embedded grime.
Step 4: Hose the area with water and a high-pressure hose nozzle. Equip your hose with a high-pressure nozzle and hose the cleaning solution from the deck. If working on grass or near plants, be sure to wet them first to dilute any solution that might touch them.
Step 5: Use a brightener solution to lighten and even out the wood's color tones. Mix the brightener the same way as the cleaner, combining the water and solution and then stirring. The brightener will blend and even the color tones of your deck. This step is optional, but wearing protective covering over your eyes and hands is not.
Step 6: Apply the brightener to the cleaned deck surface. Spray the brightener on the damp, cleaned deck with consistent overlapping strokes. No drying time is required before applying the brightener.
Step 7: Let the brightener stand on the clean deck surface for about 10 minutes. Set the sprayer's hose nozzle to mist and dampen with water. Scrub the deck lightly with the brush, then rinse with the hose nozzle set on high pressure.
Step 8: Apply water-based sealer with a large paint pad. Pour the sealer into a paint tray, and use a large paint applicator pad on a long handle to weather-proof the cleaned deck boards with the sealer. Run the pad over the deck in straight strokes and moving with the wood grain to fill crevices and coat the planks evenly.
And there you have it. In just one day, you've completely cleaned and restored your wooden deck or patio, taking it from dark and dingy to clean and bright. Now pull out the patio furniture and enjoy your "new" deck.
