deck fasteners

Sep 10
2

How to Clean Your Hardwood Deck

6 Comments

Cleaning a Hardwood Deck

Has the summer taken a toll on your hardwood deck? Or, has your five year old just had a ketchup and mustard party on a hot summer day?

Ipe Clip® carries just the right deck finishing & cleaning products to get your deck clean and looking new. Messmer’s Deck Cleaner and Messmer’s Brightener is just what your deck needs. Both are biodegradable and environmentally safe powder concentrates. If you are also thinking about staining or oiling your deck, these products are a must.

In order for your deck to take a good stain or oil, it first must be thoroughly cleaned. It takes little time and is surprisingly easy and cost effective. See the steps below to see just how east cleaning your deck can be.

1.    Sweep all dirt and debris from deck
2.    Mix cleaner with water in a bucket or pail
3.    Completely saturate deck with plain water using a garden hose
4.    Apply cleaner using a mop or pump sprayer to deck and wait 10 minutes
5.    Using a scrub brush, scrub each section of deck to loosen dirt and grime
6.    Spray and rinse your deck clean using a garden hose

It really is that simple and easy. We recommend that your deck periodically be cleaned to help extend the life of your deck.

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Posted in Deck Maintenance Deck Problems by Mr. Ipe Clip 6 Comments

6 Responses to "How to Clean Your Hardwood Deck"

  • Mike K. says:
    September 8, 2010 at 1:43 pm

    I’ve had my deck down for 3 years now, and wanted to clean it at the end of this season. As I researched the best ways to clean my deck, I was a little overwhelmed. This sounds easy enough and I am definitely going to give it a try. Thanks for the info!

  • Josh says:
    September 9, 2010 at 7:13 am

    Can you use a pressure washer to spray the deck with? I would think that would be easier.

  • Dan Schiefer says:
    September 9, 2010 at 8:03 am

    Josh,

    Use a pressure washer with caution. High pressure can actually tear the grain apart on softer woods. What I would suggest, is if the pressure is adjustable, turn it down. Then rinse a small test section of the deck, or somewhere out of sight to make sure that you are not going to damage the deck boards. If all looks good, you are fine to use the pressure washer on the remaining portion of the deck.

    Ipe can usually withstand a pressure washer just fine, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. Especially if you have one the reaches very high pressure.

  • Jimmy Patel says:
    October 19, 2010 at 10:42 am

    Half of my deck gets more sunlight and it appears to be fading quicker. Any suggestions on keeping it consistant color wise with the other section?

  • Dan Schiefer says:
    October 19, 2010 at 1:41 pm

    Jimmy,

    The sun’s UV rays are just one of the reasons why decking can start to fade. If one area of your deck is exposed to a greater amount of direct sun light than the other, this can happen. I would suggest making sure you are using a finish that has a UV protectant in it like our Ipe Oil. Not all finishes or stains contain UV protectant, so double check what you have applied.

    I do not recommend coating just half of your deck though because if you put too much finish on, it will not soak into these dense hardwoods and will leave a film on the top that can scratch easily or even stay tacky. Instead, wait until it needs a new finish either this fall or upcoming spring. Clean and let the deck dry good, then reapply with Ipe Oil or something that contains UV protectant. Ipe Oil will typically bring back the original colors of the wood so long as it has not been neglected for too long.

    A good rule of thumb, if the decking changes back to its original colors when its get wet, Ipe Oil will still bring those colors back to life when applied.

  • Contractor says:
    October 29, 2010 at 8:29 am

    Good tip Dan. I am working with a home owner who has suggested trying to get the original color back in his deck. It has started to turn grey. I didn’t want to buy the Ipe Oil just to find that it didn’t work on this weathered deck. I wet it down and it turned a beautiful brown. I’m going to order the Ipe Oil later today!

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