I’ve been tasked with cleaning a 3 story wooden deck for a family member in preparation for staining. Hoping to get some tips on tackling this project.
What do I need to do to protect lower decks from getting too much chems on while cleaning upper decks? I assume pre wetting and making sure they stay wet through the process.
Do I need to do anything special for the corrugated metal to protect from chems other than wetting through process? My concern is it is black and chems will flash dry quickly on it.
This is a house in the city with parking on opposite side of street so I am going to have to come up with a mobile setup that I can stage in backyard to tackle this as well. (Trailer and truck would be difficult to get in any available spots on street)
Not easy but I wash decks like this pretty regularly. But never for free lol
Start at the bottom. I know, sounds weird but trust me. Soap the black metal siding down with just soapy water–no SH. Then clean the deck per usual. Then go up and do it again. And then again. Just be sure not to let chems dwell on the clean parts too long but that’s a quick five minutes rinse while waiting for the chems above to dwell. I suggest wearing a wide brim hat or I wear long sleeve fishing shirts that have a hood on them so that chems don’t drip down your neck and into your butt crack.
The reason I say start at the bottom is people have a tendency to fixate on what they’re doing and if you start up too and get hung up on something then you’re probably letting chems drip and dry on that metal siding and that will not be pretty.
You can whip up a small 12v cart for stuff like this. Just need a battery, pump, some kind of cart/dolly, and like 25’ of hose. Those handrails are a dream. That wouldn’t pass code in my area so everything here has spindles. No spindles on that one probably saves you a few hours and a lot of heartache.
Thanks man I appreciate the advice. Totally would have started at top and worked my way down. The deck is actually really well built aside from the temporary handrails during construction/remodel of the home. I believe they are going with some sort of cable railing if I had to guess.
Problem is, we always think we’re doing for cheaper than hiring it out…the reality is that you could probably do easier work in the same time, and make what paying someone else to do it would cost… Had that realization a few times…
That’s why it’s so much easier to just say “no thanks”…I told a lady this morning her job was too far, it was a Realtor that we do a bit of work for, so I just said “I don’t think we could give you a competitive/reasonable price in that location, and I’d rather just tell you that than give you a ridiculous price just to say I gave you a price.” I’d have had to charged at least double what the job was worth here locally, and if I just jack the price she thinks “man they’re getting too expensive” and we lose the local stuff too… Whichever route you go, make sure you tell them the reason(s), if it’s a relationship you want to keep.
maybe consider not downstreaming if concerned with dripping chem or overspray, use a good pump up instead. but i wouldn’t be embarrassed to use a small surface cleaner in that situation. calibrated appropriately of course.