Should I pressure wash my deck before sealing?

Pressure washing is the best way to prepare your deck for sealing. After you've pressure washed your deck, you'll need to wait for it to completely dry. Sometimes, this can take as long as 48-hours. Once it's dry, you'll want to sand your deck lightly.

Do I need to clean my deck before sealing?

It's recommended that you reseal your deck once every 1 to 2 years to keep it looking its best. Before you can do that, though, you need to prep your deck for resealing. This includes cleaning it thoroughly so the new sealant can better penetrate the wood.

Do I need to pressure wash before sealing?

You do not want to pressure wash the concrete and then immediately seal it. Instead, wait a day so that it is complete dry. Then get rid of any loose contaminants that are on the surface of the concrete. The best way to do this is via a leaf blower but if you do not have one then you can simply sweep off the driveway.

Should I seal a deck after pressure washing?

If you don't want the grey look and you want your deck to be protected, then yes… you should seal your deck after pressure washing. This is usually the case if you've had a new deck installed and you needed to let it weather off before you seal it.

How long should I wait to seal a deck after washing?

A basic rule of thumb for DIY deck builders, homeowners, and professional contractors is that roughly 48 hours is an adequate drying time for a newly washed deck.

Pressure Washing and Re-Sealing my Deck

What time of year should I seal my deck?

The ideal outside temperatures for deck sealing are between 50 and 90 degrees. Usually, late summer and early fall are the best times for deck restoration and sealing.

What happens if it rains on a freshly sealed deck?

If it rains within 48 hours of applying a treatment, the water will soak into the wood, and try and displace the stain. This can cause a blotchy, flaky look, rather than a smooth, even, coat. If it rains immediately after you've stained the wood, the stain will peel and flake off.

How long after pressure washing can you seal?

How Long After Power Washing Before Sealing? For best results and to ensure the sealant lasts as long as possible, you should wait 24-48 hours to seal your driveway after cleaning it. This allows sufficient time for the surface to fully dry.

Why did my deck turn white after pressure washing?

When cleaning a cedar deck with just about any sort of cleaner, it's possible to end up with a white film often called "wood fuzzies" or furring. Furring can occur any time cedar is cleaned but is most seen in two scenarios: in new cedar or with heavily oxidized wood.

Is it better to spray or roll deck sealer?

Rollers are a great option when you need to apply the stain faster, but they can be difficult to work with in hard-to-reach areas. Using a sprayer is a viable option too, but you need to make sure that the sprayer is set to low pressure and you're spraying close to the wood.

What is the average cost of deck sealing?

Hiring a handyman, contractor, or deck company to clean and seal a deck average about $2-$3.50 sq. ft. ($300-$525 for a 10'x15′ deck or $640-$1,120 for 16'x20′), depending on local rates, deck condition, the height and location of the deck, and the number of levels, railing, stairs, and other components.

Should I pressure wash my deck before staining?

There is a common misconception that just pressure washing a deck prior to staining is all you need to do in order to prep your deck for stain. Pressure washing can help, but if you want your stain to last, using a good deck cleaner and brightener on the deck prior to pressure washing will provide you the best result.

How do you clean before sealing?

Cleaning should be done before removing old sealant, to avoid water infiltration in the gap. The majority of surfaces can simply be cleaned with trisodium phosphate (TSP), isopropyl alcohol or a bleach mixture.

How do you prepare a deck for sealing?

Proper prep is key to a successful deck sealing. Begin by repairing or replacing any loose or broken boards. Then, use a power washer to scrub the surface clean. Allow the deck to dry for 24 hours, then sand the surface with 60- to 150-grit sandpaper or a sanding disk.

What happens if you dont wash your deck before staining it?

But don't just slap a coat of stain on in a hurry — you'll need to clean your deck before staining it. If you stain a deck without cleaning and prepping it first, the results will look blotchy, uneven, and, well, amateur. Any time you save skipping the cleaning stage, you'll spend twice over repairing the botched job.

What happens if you don't clean deck before staining?

Cleaning a deck before you apply stain ensures that the surface is clean (no dust, dirt, wood fibers or grease), dry and free from mildew. When a surface is not clean, stains and other finishes have trouble sticking and may end up peeling.

Why you should not pressure wash your deck?

If you have timber deck boards, a power washer's pressure may cause splintering and damage to the timber fibres. If the timber surface already has some splintering, pressure washing will only exacerbate the issue.

How many coats of deck sealer should I use?

The general rule of thumb is to apply only as much as the wood can absorb. Typically this will be 2 coats, unless you are dealing with extremely dense hardwoods which may only be able to absorb 1 coat of wood stain.

Can you power wash a deck too much?

Using too much pressure

One of the quickest ways to do damage to your deck is by blasting it with a high-pressure power washer. Using too much pressure can scar the wood, leaving unsightly marks. Damage to the wood that weakens it in spots could eventually lead to structural damage.

Can you pressure wash and stain a deck in the same day?

After a deck has been power washed it will have some retained moisture within the wood. It's important to let the wood dry thoroughly so none of the water that soaked into the wood gets trapped under the stain. In perfect drying conditions, 48 hours is enough for the wood to get to where it needs to be before staining.

What should you not do when pressure washing?

Should I power wash my wooden deck?

For cleaning a wooden deck, you'll be best served by using the lowest pressure setting that's still effective. For soft woods like cedar or pine, this is usually about 500 to 600 psi. For harder woods, it can go up to 1200 to 1500 psi.

What is the best temp to seal a deck?

For clear sealer, the deck surface and air temperature must be above 50 degrees Fahrenheit during application and drying time. For deck stain, the deck surface and air temperature should be between 50 and 95 Fahrenheit for application and drying.

Can you leave a deck unsealed?

It is highly unlikely that the deck will rot, splinter or decay if you choose not to have it finished and you can always choose to stain and protect the deck at a later date. If you choose to revitalize the natural color of the wood, we recommend our two-step maintenance clean.

Can you seal a deck in the sun?

Avoid Direct Sunlight

Whether it's warm or cool outside, never apply stain to a deck in direct sunlight. This could cause the stain to flash dry, which prevents it from penetrating the wood properly and shortens its longevity.