Power Wash Deck Iowa City

How to Properly Power Wash a Deck

Your deck has gotten pretty filthy, and you think that it’s time for the best power wash deck services Iowa City, IA has to offer. However, you also feel that you can handle this situation on your own and are ready to do what is necessary to clean your deck. Before you start blindly here, it is essential to know what to expect and what kinds of steps you should take to ensure that things go as smoothly as possible.

Start By Checking Out the Machine

The machines you use for power wash deck services is going to be quite simple and yet reasonably complicated at the same time. In essence, it will be a large machine that uses a steady supply of water to provide the cleaning power that your deck needs. As a result, you should take the time to familiarize yourself with the machine and its operation to get an idea of how it works for your specific needs.

Start by seeing how it hooks up and deciding what kind of soap you need. These steps are usually quite simple, but they do require some thought. You should try to avoid any solvent that will damage your deck wood, such as excessive bleach. Talk to a power wash specialist to get an idea of what kind of soap you should use and ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible for you.

Next, practice with the machine for a while until you feel comfortable with its operation. Try different angles with the hose and see how it affects your cleaning area. Just as importantly, get a feel for how much power goes through the tube as your system operates. In this way, you should have a pretty good idea of what it’s like to power wash a deck and will know how to handle these unique tools.

Protect Yourself Properly

Although power wash deck services are by no means dangerous, there is a potential for injury if you aren’t careful. This risk is much lower when professionals handle this service for you. But if you plan on doing your power washing by yourself, you need to understand all the necessary safety gear that you should wear. Doing so will help to ensure that you don’t hurt yourself or others as you clean.

For example, you should make sure to wear long pants and sturdy shoes to keep yourself safe from the splashback. Rubber boots are a great idea in this situation because they should resist most impact damage from water. Just as importantly, you should make sure to wear goggles and gloves, as the glasses help to protect from water spray and the gloves prevent cuts, bruises, and welts on your hands.

Just as importantly, you should remove all breakable items from the deck – such as chairs and tables – and place them where the water won’t hit. Make sure that everybody knows you are going to be cleaning the deck, as well, to ensure that they stay away from the cleaning area. You may want to put up ropes or some tape to keep people away, but make sure you don’t spray or break these items as you work.

Apply Your Cleaner Properly

At this point in your power wash deck process, you are ready to apply the soap. Start by filling the power washer’s soap holder with this cleaner, making sure to pay proper attention to how full you can get the machine. Some machines cannot be filled to the top because it may interfere with their operation. A fill line should be printed on the side of the tank to help guide you here.

Adjust the nozzle to the widest angle to softly spray the cleaner on the surface of the deck. You should get pretty good coverage here, as long as you stand about 5-6 feet back from the deck. Standing this far back ensures that splashback doesn’t cause any problems or impact you in any way. It also helps to make sure that the soap covers as much area on your deck as possible.

Make sure that you move at a steady pace as you spray but avoid moving too fast. You should get your deck as fully covered as possible and try to make the coverage even as well. If it isn’t 100 percent even, though, this shouldn’t be a big deal. Just try to make sure that your coverage is as complete as possible without wasting too much soap and time on this sometimes finicky process.

Wash Away the Soap

Now that you’ve applied your cleanser, you need to switch your power wash deck machine over to rinse. This setting allows you to spray a steady burst of water directly on the cleaner to rinse it away and give your deck the clean surface that it deserves. Start with a reasonably wide spray – a 40-degree angle should be wide enough to hit most of your deck surface and wash away your cleaner.

Try to work the cleaner towards specific areas of the deck, such as near corners where you have buckets positioned. These buckets will collect the soap in a concentrated area and help to avoid pollution and contamination. As you work, you’ll probably need to adjust your spray to a more focused degree – such as zero degrees – to get more accurate water control in this situation.

As you spray your deck, make sure that you pay attention to spots that have a higher buildup of debris than others. Sometimes, these areas can become quite stained and need more focused blasts of water. Never put your washer tip closer than six inches to the surface of the deck. Most of the time, you should have it at least 5-6 feet away to prevent damage – only use close washing under challenging situations, and if you feel confident handling that much power.

Professional Help is Smart

So if you want help with your power wash deck services in Iowa City, IA and aren’t sure where to turn, please contact us at Mobile Maintenance Solutions to learn more about this process today. Our professionals have years of experience working with decks like yours and can provide you with the cleaning that you need to keep your deck secure and resilient for years to come.