How To Clean Deck And Prep It For Staining?

Cleaning a deck for staining is a detailed procedure that requires skill and experience both and in case you lack in something, then you should stay away from doing it yourself. Like every process, the deck cleaning also starts from gathering tools and materials and a good list of tools can be found online. Generally, a good toolkit includes brushes, cleaner, sandpaper, water hose, etc. If something is missing from your toolkit, then it is better either you buy it or borrow it from a friend. In case of any kind of difficulty, you can easily hire a lock deck cleaning and staining service. You can also use the following tips to get your deck perfectly cleaned up.

Sweep the deck thoroughly

Before you rush for staining, it is important to clean the deck perfectly to achieve optimal results. Otherwise even after staining the quality of shine would not be as you expect. So, take a soft brush and clean all the debris and leaves from the deck. In case it’s a messy deck you might have to repeat the process multiple times to ensure a hundred percent cleaning. It doesn’t take much time but as any good deck cleaning service suggests make sure you choose a dry day for it because doing it in windy condition would double your effort.

Apply the cleaner

Once you are ready with the cleaned deck now it is time to apply the deck cleaning agent to remove the dust and debris from the grooves. For that purpose, you are going to need a very good commercially available cleaning agent. Either get a recommendation from an expert or just read the description before the selection of the cleaning agent. You can use a sprayer to make it evenly spread on the surface and don’t forget to wear protection for your eyes and face. If you have a bigger deck, the experts at the deck staining service recommend dividing the work area into smaller sections. 

Use a hard brush for perfect cleaning

After you are done spraying the cleaner on the deck wait for about fifteen minutes or the recommended time on the instructions before you start cleaning the surface. When you are done waiting it is time to use a hard brush to scratch out the debris and dust stuck in the porous surface. As you’ll go ahead you’ll see a clear difference between the clean and the dirty surface. Given the level of dirtiness, you might want to go a second or even a third round. In case you have a greasy surface, you must use a grease remover before you start the cleaning process. 

Wash out the cleaner properly

When you have done with the basic cleaning procedure it is time to see the results of your hard work. Just pick up the commonly available water hose and choose an appropriate nozzle to create pressure and wash off the cleaner and the dirt from the deck. You may have to go several rounds to get it off completely. If you are still not satisfied or notice the presence of cleaner when you touch it, then using a cleaning brush can help you do that. Because the cleaner is dried in the wood, it would be prominent and can affect the staining quality.  

Final touch with the sandpaper

Now that you have washed off all the dirt from the deck and it is dried up it is time to tune it up for the staining. The easiest way to do that is to use sandpaper. Make sure you choose the right sandpaper based on the type of wood your deck has and try to do it as gently as possible. Because even if the sandpaper is used for perfection you don’t want to create an imbalance by rubbing it too hard. Don’t forget to clean off the dust to see the results. Once you are satisfied clean the deck again and let it dry completely before you start the staining process. 

The cleaning of the deck for staining isn’t a simple process. In fact, it is a process that demands a perfect combination of skills and effort. Anything out of place would just ruin the deck for good. That’s why if you are not up for the challenge it is recommended to hire a professional that has years of experience. The experts are a lot faster and the final result is a lot better as compared to a personal effort. They can cover a lot more ground in a short amount of time. So, don’t be hesitant to hire an expert if needed. You just have to be sure that the company you are hiring for the task is reliable. Most of the time the help hired through references is the solution to everything.