Noticeable results. A basic fence cleaning with no intentions of prep for stain this go around.
The poor bush in the last photo was DRT upon arrival of the scene. (Dead Right There)
Nice work, John.
Thanks Micah. To clean and stain this fence on an annual or semi annual basis would increase the life of it and reduce their costs long term no question. This section of fence is only a bit of thousands of yards of fence surrounding a developing neighborhood here in Southport. A good non film forming stain would keep it looking like new. Imagine the madness of stripping some DIY marketed product.
Nice. How did you do it? soft wash? Pressure? what chemical if any did you use?
I am also interested in what you used for a chemical if any? My other question is whether or not
you used hot water?
Thanks for the help. I am going to be bidding a couple hundred feet of fence like this myself next week.
12.5% at a ratio of 10:1 direct application with the FB. That is a starting point for the soap mixture just dilute or strengthen depending on condition of the wood. This is just for basic cleaning with no intention of applying stain. Rinse with cold water low psi, again, depending on the condition of wood prior to cleaning to determine the method of rinsing. Sometimes it’s required to have a pressure at the tip of no more than 1000psi and sometimes a good flush will do. It’s something that experience teaches better than anything else, but is not too difficult for anyone setup up to provide exterior low pressure washing services to do well.
I always recommend a process for prep to stain that differs from this but most often affording it is a different matter and they are content just to have it clean again. I have explained this to probably a dozen homeowners in the past couple of weeks. I’ve decided to just write a blog and send them there after meeting them so they can understand and digest the information after I have left.
You neutralize it?
Thanks for that question Tim. It is a question either asked by many deck owners or not considered at all due to lack of knowledge about it. Any new home constructed here on Oak Island is built on pilings because of codes relative to hurricane preparations. This means lots of exposed decking to access the entryways of the house. Both underneath and the tops of decking. Many are shocked at the extra cost involved in protecting these decks for the first time. I wrote a blog about How to Protect a Deck in order to help with some of my time management and better educate deck owners in this area. It’s rough and will endure some editing as time moves along, but it covers the basics without getting too far into the details. I’d appreciate it if you’d give it a read and ask any questions or make any comments so I can add or take away as needed.
I do provide the option of brightening to all of my customers whether they decide to apply stain or not. I leave the final decision up to them.
The short answer is that you don’t need to neutralize sodium hypochlorite. Neutralization is only needed with caustic-based cleaners.
Not to get into a bleach or no bleach cleaning, cause I don’t do wood…but I have always heard that SH will dry out the wood. Is that not true?
Not if used in moderation with the right cleaners and low pressure.
Sodium hypochlorite kills mildew. Rinse thoroughly. Sun and wind dries out wood. Climate changes cause wood movement. Stains/sealers mitigate this process. Not staining or using ineffective stains/sealers allow the wood to dry out or age at an accelerated pace. Not killing the mildew first inhibits the effectiveness of stains. I think it’s more an act of neglect that dries out wood more than an act of cleaning with the use of sodium hypochlorite. I don’t know of anything more effective at killing mildew.
There’s a cost consideration to present to whoever is going to pay for the work to be done. For some according to their life plans its just not worth the price tag to have a deck or fence stained every couple of years but they do want the mildew removed so its safe and healthy with at least a consistent and clean appearance. I’ve received a grateful and what is beginning to be a loyal customer base by presenting these options clearly.
Remember, this is the Portfolio section- a place to show off your outstanding work. I moved the rest of the thread into the Member section.
Thank you Thad.
Well, we can’t give away all our secrets, can we?
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