Deck restoration
A deck that has gone green or black in the shade is not dirty in the ordinary sense - it is growing something, and humid summers are exactly what mildew and algae want. Cleaning it properly is a chemistry job before it is a water job: a cleaner that kills the growth and lifts grey, weathered fibres, then a brightener that restores the wood's colour, with only as much water pressure as the wood can take.
The green or black film on a shaded deck is mildew and algae, and the grey on a sunny one is wood fibre broken down by UV. Humid air alone will not rot a deck, but the USDA's Wood Handbook is clear that it lets surface moulds grow - and on a deck, mildew is usually the sign the finish is due. Both problems have to be removed before any stain or sealer will bond.
An over-powered pressure washer is the fastest way to damage a deck: the Forest Products Laboratory warns it can strip away wood along with the dirt, leaving furred, raised grain that takes finish unevenly. We use a cleaner to kill the growth and loosen grey fibres, a brightener to bring the colour back and balance the wood after cleaning, and only as much rinse pressure as the wood can take. We never mix bleach-based cleaners with ammonia products, and we protect plants and siding around the deck.
Then the wood dries. Cleaning is the start of the job, not the end of it - staining or sealing follows once the boards are properly dry.
Shaded decks under the tree cover of Green Hills and Bellevue, decks near the water in Madison and Old Hickory, and any deck in East Nashville, Donelson or Brentwood that has not been finished in a few years. The same process works on fences and pergolas.
How long does it take? Usually a day, then a drying period before any finish goes on.
These come up on the same job more often than not:
Cleaned, dried and stained with a finish matched to how much sun and shade your deck gets.
Learn More →A clear or lightly tinted water-repellent finish for wood you want to keep looking like wood.
Learn More →Fences, pergolas, porches and outdoor woodwork cleaned and stained so they match the deck and weather at the same rate.
Learn More →Free - No Obligation
Two minutes. We call you back the same day.