Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Pressure washing decking.

Diwrnach

Well-known member
Messages
3,309
Assume I need to use a lower power on decking? not done one before but got a quote on Monday, any advice?

 
Di - decking is a real MO-FO! Here's the catch, if it's a bad one with algae all over it covered in sh**t it's gonna take longer than doing patios or driveways.

Start with shed load of of APC and a stiff decking brush, get off as much as you can prior to power washing.

Use some caustic ****, go as far as house hold bleach if you need to.

If you want to be eco considerate instead of caustic **** you can go with covering the deck with baking soda and then use loads of white vinegar on top of that with a deck brush.

Then one nice even pass with your power washer - shouldn't really need more than 2500psi

HOWEVER - INSIST that you also stain and seal it for them otherwise it will look like **** again before the end of summer.

 
Apparently oxygen bleach? is the stuff to use as it doesn't kill everything? though I am thinking I might want to turn this one down....

 
Mate, I charge 3 time the price for decking that I do for a patio / driveway, plus the cost of stain & sealer and if they aren't having it stained and sealed I aint doing the job.

But yes oxygen bleach is better. Like I said baking soda,, white vinegar or even a good coating of hydrogen peroxide.

 
Thanks for the help guys, think I am going to pass on it, just sent her a message saying I don't think I can do it.

 
it all depends how bad it is ,sometimes bleach will get rid of the algae and in extreme situations it might need a diluted mix of hypo , either way dont leave the above on any longer than 10 to 15 minutes or the the **** sorry deck :laugh: can turn a grey colour , this wont matter if its being stained and sealed . theres another good product called patio magic that works well but its more expensive

 
I had my first deck pressure washing job last month. But if you want to know how I did it you'll have to pay me £250 and wear my branded tshirts. Its the first deck pressure washing course in the country.:thumbsup:

 
J/k

Its very simple mate, easier then I thought it would be. If you have a turbo nozzle (the ones that spin around), take it off as it will tear into the wood and give it a 'hairy' appearance, and no one likes that:thumbsdown:. You need the fan nozzle. Work systematically one board at a time, and keep your speed the same. Nozzle pressure is pretty irrelevent since you can just hold it closer or further away. I picked the fan nozzle that allowed me to clean a whole width of the board with the right distance/pressure to not damage the wood. Best to check in a low visibility area like where the plant pot normally sits.

Easy peasy, it came up a treat. I quoted my normal prices and it wasnt any harder then a patio, if anything it was easier as the water doesnt pool, it just goes down the cracks.:thumbsup:

 
Funny enough I've just received a quote request about 10 mins ago. The guy wants a price to check & clear the guttering and downspouts, clean all the plastics, conservatory including the roof also clean the decking as he has told me it's lethal...Now that's no surprise as most jobs I do with decking is lethal anyway.

The chap went on to say he actually slipped and fell on his **** when he was veiwing the property that he is moving into. Then warned me to go careful when I pop over to have a look later on today.

 
Funny enough I've just received a quote request about 10 mins ago. The guy wants a price to check & clear the guttering and downspouts, clean all the plastics, conservatory including the roof also clean the decking as he has told me it's lethal...Now that's no surprise as most jobs I do with decking is lethal anyway.
The chap went on to say he actually slipped and fell on his **** when he was veiwing the property that he is moving into. Then warned me to go careful when I pop over to have a look later on today.
He will slip again when you tell him how much....

 
Now that one is going to be a bartuard to do so will not be cheap let alone to do the decking too.

The chap is not going to get much change out of a grand for me to do that one for sure.

Clean Decking 250 ish (not including stripping or staining)

Clear guttering & dowspouts 150 ish

Deep clean all house plastics 250 ish

Deep clean oustside of conservatory (including roof) £250 ish

Plus free window clean

Approx £900 worth of work to be had there if they want it done properly by an old pro :rolleyes:

 
Back
Top