Power-Washing The Back Deck: A Quick Facelift

If there is one project I have underestimated the revival power of, it was the power washing of our back deck.

Prior to taking on this task, I never once used a power washer.  Thankfully a good friend had one, so we avoided renting one and saved a few dollars.  I liked it so much, we are considering buying our own!

The nice thing about power washing a deck is that it takes very little time, and it has a dramatic effect on the overall look of your deck.  I can’t say when the deck was last cleaned, but even just a year of harsh New England weather can have a significant impact.

Take a look at these before pictures, and see for yourself!

They aren’t exactly pretty, that is for sure.

But a few hours, and God only knows how many gallons of water, later…….we have bright wooden planks! These pictures really do a nice job of highlighting  just how great the contrast is.

Now keep in mind, power washing does take some time.  It is better to start at a low PSI and increase as needed, until you reach a PSI that is working on your specific wood (i.e. cleaning it but not gauging it).  You will also need to slowly move up and down each board, and some of the really rough ones may need a second pass.  So take your time.

All in all, this was a nice quick fix for our weathered porch.  We aren’t quite ready to stain it, so this was a nice compromise 🙂

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