Does a wooden deck need to be power washed every year?
Asked by
jca2 (
16827
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March 23rd, 2024
I have a large wooden deck and I live across the street from a lake, so the deck will get mildewy looking on the edges.
I had it power washed last year, and I oiled it with the clear oil stuff for decks. I paid a guy to power wash it, although I own my own pressure washer, it was actually easier to pay the guy to do it. Doing it myself was a lot of work.
Yesterday, we bought a swing bench that will be placed on the deck. It comes apart and so the bench part will hopefully be taken inside in the winter months, but I think the bracket part will stay outside. I am wondering if it’s bad to power wash a wooden deck every year, or if it’s better for the wood to do it. If so, I will have to get the guy do power wash it before assembling the swing.
Will it rot the wood faster to get it washed every year?
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5 Answers
I no longer have a wooden deck but did for most of my life. You can scrub it with a detergent/bleach solution or buy deck cleaner which does a lovely job by just using a pressure sprayer and spraying the cleaner onto every inch of the decking and railing and stairs. Or, you can pressure wash. I always just did it when it started looking gray and splotchy…..not a time measurement.
Strong pressure washers are certainly capable of damaging wood. With that, I believe it is plausible that the wood would wear faster, if power washed more often.
In some historical places, you can’t use power sanders, because they are capable of changing the shape of wood.
A thick coat of stain, and/or quality deck/outdoor paint would probably be OK with an occasional manual scrubbing with a medium firmness nonmetallic brush.
I think the paint or sealer helps protect the wood. Using the right water pressure will wash away mold and grime and not harm the sealant, harsh pressure washing can cause damage. There are special cleaners for decks to remove mold. Over time the paint or sealer will wear off, even from regular rain.
Do you have a local hardware store? I find the staff at my local hardware stores always are well versed in this sort of thing.
Water pressure is high enough to shred wood fibers and cut through wood – - – - don’t do it. Use a cleaner you spray on and rinse off, then use Thompson’s Sealer https://www.thompsonswaterseal.com/
I don’t have a deck but I used to live across from a lake where everybody else did. I seem to remember that most used Thompson Mold & Mildew Sealant. They cleaned the deck & then sealed with the M&M sealant.The sealant retarded the growth of mold or mildew for more than 1 year. I can tell you that pressure washing a car too often will fade the paint although it doesn’t chip it off, so I can only assume wood wouldn’t fair much better.
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