06-27-2005, 03:28 PM
Hi
We have a couple of large decks at the cottage. Both are made from local (Bruce Peninsula) white cedar, and are not sealed or treated in any way.
Every year, they get mildew on them, and need cleaning. For some time now, I have been (gleefully) using a pressure washer (power tools are fun) to clean them off. However, there is a down side to this method. It needs a very steady hand, or you make dents in the wood, especially at the part where you try to blast out the stuff that accumulates in between the boards. (Both decks have fairly large trees beside them, because there is no point in a deck if you cannot find a shady spot on it of a hot summer day, and thus spruce cones, spruce needles, leaves, etc. all end up in the cracks.)
Additionally, eventually the wear from the water also creates deeper grooves in the wood of the deck, making for even better places for the mildew to grow.
This year, I am trying an experiment (based on slave labour from my teenager). One deck will get the power washer treatment, and the other just got a thorough hands-and-knees scrub with hot water and vinegar, followed by a garden hose washing. It looks just as good as the power washed one, albeit with considerably more elbow grease and time (although it was not my time or elbow grease). I am thinking that this method does have the benefit of less wear on the deck surface.
My question is (for those of you who have decks for summer living-rooms):
What do you do? Are there other (inexpensive) alternatives that you would suggest?
We have a couple of large decks at the cottage. Both are made from local (Bruce Peninsula) white cedar, and are not sealed or treated in any way.
Every year, they get mildew on them, and need cleaning. For some time now, I have been (gleefully) using a pressure washer (power tools are fun) to clean them off. However, there is a down side to this method. It needs a very steady hand, or you make dents in the wood, especially at the part where you try to blast out the stuff that accumulates in between the boards. (Both decks have fairly large trees beside them, because there is no point in a deck if you cannot find a shady spot on it of a hot summer day, and thus spruce cones, spruce needles, leaves, etc. all end up in the cracks.)
Additionally, eventually the wear from the water also creates deeper grooves in the wood of the deck, making for even better places for the mildew to grow.
This year, I am trying an experiment (based on slave labour from my teenager). One deck will get the power washer treatment, and the other just got a thorough hands-and-knees scrub with hot water and vinegar, followed by a garden hose washing. It looks just as good as the power washed one, albeit with considerably more elbow grease and time (although it was not my time or elbow grease). I am thinking that this method does have the benefit of less wear on the deck surface.
My question is (for those of you who have decks for summer living-rooms):
What do you do? Are there other (inexpensive) alternatives that you would suggest?
And you may call it righteousness
When civility survives,
But I've had dinner with the Devil and
I know nice from right.
From Dinner with the Devil, by Big Rude Jake
When civility survives,
But I've had dinner with the Devil and
I know nice from right.
From Dinner with the Devil, by Big Rude Jake