The Steps to follow for Deck Cleaning and Maintenance
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KMS Woodworks on Mar 23, 2012Actually the use of bleach (chlorine based) should be avoided when working with wood decks. It alters the pH and can degrade the wood more quickly, power washers should also be be used with extreme caution as some types of wood can be eroded away ( cedar, pine, redwood). Aggressive power washing removes the softer "early growth" wood leaving ridges of the late wood. This actually makes a deck "rougher" and will require sanding to even up the surface. A lot of deck "cleaning" companies use power washers because it is fast and "cheap" for them in the labor dept. The use of a regular garden hose and scrubbing "broom" or brush can be just as effective using pH neutral cleaners. But it is more labor intensive. I have been using the line of cleaners from Penofin for about 15 years. their deck cleaning product is Sodium Percarbonate based and is wood friendly...in solution it produces Hydrogen peroxide which is a natural "oxygen type" cleaner. ( 100% Hydrogen peroxide has a pH value of 6.2) which is much closer to neutral (7). Household bleach is in the Highly alkaline pH zone of 12 to 12.5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_percarbonate Following up that cleaning step with a "brightener" will also contribute to a final more pH balanced condition. Penofin's "brightener" is Oxalic acid based and eliminate a lot of the "tannin stains" that can develop in woods like cedar. http://www.networx.com/article/all-hands-on-deck http://www.networx.com/article/awesome-colorado-decksHelpful Reply
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