Power Washing vs. Oxygen Bleach

! ! ! See Author's Notes at Bottom of Column ! ! !

I am beginning to discover that writing a syndicated newspaper column is similar to being a politician. No matter how much research you do, no matter what you write, you can't satisfy everyone. Don't worry, I can take the heat. This column topic - pressure washing decks - is a perfect example.

I have received countless letters, phone calls and e-mails from people who make a living pressure washing decks. They all say the same thing, "Pressure washing doesn't hurt wood!" On the other side of the coin, I received a huge number of e-mails and notes from homeowners who have been victimized by pressure washing. There are tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of decks out there that have been ruined by pressure washing. I am tempted to make copies of all the letters and exchange them among the victims and those professionals who claim pressure washing is safe. I think it would be kind of funny to see the reaction!

Common Sense Issue

I majored in geology while in college. One of our field trips was a hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. If you want to see a display of what water can do to rock, this is the place to go. The Colorado River is not blasting at the rock with 1,000 pounds per square inch of force yet it has caused the largest amount of erosion on the face of the planet. Rock is so much harder than wood that they are not even comparable.

It is beyond comprehension that a person could make a statement and actually believe that a high pressure stream of water will not erode wood. It just doesn't even make sense.

Seeing is Believing

I have been on many, many decks that have suffered erosion from pressure washers. The evidence is unmistakable. You can readily see the deep grooves in the light colored areas of the wood grain. Splinters are also a telltale sign that a pressure washer recently visited. If your deck has been victimized by a pressure washer, you can restore it. You simply have to rent a belt sander and get to work.

A Color Slide Show

Do you want to see a delightful photo essay on how to safely clean a wood deck? If so, I created one just for you. Simply click this link Deck Cleaning Tutorial and sit back and enjoy. I created this to show how simple and easy it is to use oxygen bleach and a regular scrub brush. You are not going to believe the photographs. They have not been enhanced. The color difference in the before and after pictures is almost unbelievable.

A Huge Opportunity

Based upon the number of requests I get for this and similar bulletins each year I know for a fact that many people are unhappy with the deck sealing products they use. They are also unhappy about using toxic chemicals like chlorine bleach to clean decks. If you are looking for a seasonal or weekend job, you should absolutely think about cleaning decks by hand with oxygen bleach and then sealing them the next day with a synthetic resin sealer. There are many, many people out there who are looking for these products!

Author's Notes:

Read Sheryl's comments about using a pressure washer on her deck.

"Tim,

I am going to order some of your oxygen bleach to clean my wooden deck that is on "the list" this summer. I sure wish I had known about this product before I power washed it two years ago - as I wondered why the wood looked messed up afterwards."

- Sheryl W., State Park, SC

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