Should You Sand Deck Before Or After Cleaning

Washing versus Sanding – Which is the Better Way to Prep the Deck?

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Washing versus Sanding – Which is the Better Way to Prep the Deck?

Pressure washing a wood deck.

There are discussions pro and con for both surface grooming methods. Our experience suggests that both methods are best when used together. We adopt to ask, "Which cleaning method should I use first?"

Assess the Condition of the Wood

Nosotros assess the status of the wood. This will determine whether sanding should preceded washing or whether it should follow it.

Splintered, keen, or just plain crude forest should be sanded first, then pressure washed to open the wood's pores and allow penetration of the stain.
Securely grooved wood that has mold, moss and other growing things filling the cracks will need treatment with a deck and siding cleaner. Then utilize a stiff plastic bristle brush to loosen the debris. (Always piece of work in the management of the grooves/grain.)
Smooth wood that is in adequately good shape except for fading and wear in the finish can be pressure level washed first. Afterwards the deck has dried follow with a light sanding to knock down whatsoever fuzz or raised grain caused past the washer.

Identify the Type of Wood

We also consider the blazon of forest. Some popular deck woods, such as cedar are very soft. Y'all tin can't be zealous with either sanding or pressure level washing. Pressure washing tends to fuzz upward the surface on cedar, so you'll need to be sure yous use a lower pressure setting. So follow up with light sanding to smoothen the surface.

If your deck is made of pressure treated woods, yous might not want to pressure level launder at all. Information technology releases arsenic into the water and contaminates anything the spray lands on.

The Environmental Working Grouping recommends cleaning your bank check with soap and h2o. Commercial deck cleaning solutions or TSP can catechumen the chemicals in the wood into their more toxic forms.

Sanding is also dangerous as the dust contains arsenic. So you lot only want to sand dangerous splinters. Utilize a vacuum capturing sander to reduce the risk that you or your pets and children volition exist exposed to toxic chemicals while you refinish your deck.

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