Deck and Fence Cleaning
Give a pine deck two summers in Florence and it turns grey, then green in the shady corners, then slick. We clean wood and composite decks, privacy fences, docks and boathouses across Florence and the Shoals, with a wash that lifts the weathered layer and the growth without chewing up the wood underneath.
Wood is the surface people most often ruin themselves. A rented pressure washer with a narrow tip will make a grey board look tan for a weekend, and leave it fuzzy, splintered and furrowed for good. We use lower pressure, a cleaning mix that does the heavy lifting and, when the wood needs it, a brightener that brings the color back.
Why wood goes grey here
Sun breaks down the lignin in the top layer of wood fibers, and rain washes those loose fibers away. What is left is that silver-grey surface. In the Shoals the humidity off the Tennessee River and Wilson Lake adds a second layer: algae and mildew that grow into the soft, weathered surface, especially on boards that stay shaded or sit close to the ground.
Pollen from March into May settles into every gap between boards and holds moisture there. Leaves from fall sit on the deck through winter and leave dark tannin stains. By the time a deck has been through a couple of years of that, it is grey, blotchy and slippery after rain, even if the boards underneath are still sound.
Wood and composite are not the same job
Pressure-treated pine, the most common deck wood around here, is soft. It gets a cleaning mix to kill the growth and loosen the grey, then a low-pressure rinse with a wide fan, moving with the grain. If the wood is going to be stained, a brightener follows to neutralize the cleaner and open the grain back up. Cedar and other harder woods get much the same, with even less pressure.
Composite decks do not go grey, but they do grow mildew and black spots, especially on older boards with a more porous surface. The manufacturers are picky about pressure and heat, so composite gets a soft wash, a gentle rinse and no brightener. We look at the boards and ask what brand they are if you know, since some have specific care guidance.
The concrete under or around a deck needs real pressure, which is why the patio slab under the steps gets a separate method even when it is on the same quote.
Fences
Privacy fences around Florence take a beating on the side nobody looks at. The neighbor's side, the part behind the shed and the run along a tree line all go green and grey long before the side facing your yard. A wood fence gets the same approach as a deck: cleaning mix, low pressure with the grain, and brightener if it will be stained.
Vinyl fences, which are all over the newer neighborhoods, get a soft wash. They do not weather, but they grow algae and collect red clay splash along the bottom rail after every hard rain. A few minutes of dwell time and a rinse brings them back to white.
If you want both sides of a shared fence cleaned, we will need the neighbor's okay to get into their yard. Most neighbors are happy to say yes. Gates, latches and post caps get rinsed along with the boards, and we keep the spray low along the bottom of the fence so we are not throwing water over it onto the neighbor's car or patio.
Docks and boathouses on Wilson and Pickwick
Lake places on Wilson Lake and Pickwick Lake have it worse than anything in town. The boards sit right over the water, they rarely dry out fully, and they grow green film fast. Docks get slick, and that is a safety problem with kids, dogs and wet feet.
We wash docks, boathouses, gangways and the decks that lead down to them with low pressure and mixes chosen with the water right underneath in mind, and we keep runoff off the lake as much as the layout allows. For homes up on the bluffs near Killen and on the lake side of the county, getting the equipment down to the water can take some planning, so a photo of the path down helps. Places on the lake side of Killen are a regular stop for us.
Getting the wood ready to stain
If you plan to stain or seal the deck or fence, cleaning comes first, and the timing matters. Fresh stain over grey, dirty wood peels in a season. Wood has to be clean, brightened and fully dry before stain goes on, which in this humidity usually means waiting a couple of good dry days, sometimes longer in spring.
We do the cleaning and brightening and tell you when it should be ready. Staining is its own job and not something we do, but a properly prepped deck gives whoever does the staining a far better surface to work with. Every job is priced in writing before we start, by the surface and its size, from a photo or a quick walk-around. We work Monday through Saturday, 7am to 6pm, and answer quote requests the same day.
Related
Driveway and Concrete Cleaning
Red clay, oil and mildew lifted evenly with a surface cleaner, no stripes.
Soft Washing
Low pressure, the right mix and enough dwell time to do the work.
Power Washing in Killen
We soft wash siding, clean concrete and bring grey decks and docks back.
Exterior Cleaning in Rogersville
We wash houses, roofs, outbuildings and lake decks.
Questions we get
Will pressure washing damage my deck?
It can if the pressure is too high or the tip too narrow. That raises the grain and leaves furrows. We use low pressure with a wide fan, moving with the grain, and let the cleaning mix do most of the work.
How long after cleaning can I stain the deck?
Once it is fully dry, which is usually a couple of dry days and sometimes longer in a damp spring. Stain over damp wood does not soak in properly.
Can you clean a composite deck?
Yes. Composite gets a soft wash and a gentle rinse with no brightener, following the care guidance for the board where we know the brand.
Do you clean boat docks?
Yes, on Wilson Lake, Pickwick Lake and other water around the Shoals, with mixes chosen for working right over the water.
Show us the deck
A photo of the whole deck and one close-up of the worst boards tells us the wood, the condition and roughly how big it is. Fences, include how long the run is and if you want one side or both. Hit Get FREE Quote Today and you will hear back with a written price.