Finding a Power Washing Company

Power washing has not always been perceived by the public as a serious profession. Tainted by fly-by-night companies due to potentially low start up costs, the industry has always fought an uphill battle in being a professional service industry that can stand strong on its own. Being a contractor I have heard horror stories of people being ripped off or having their property damaged by unethical contractors that thought they knew what they were doing.

The good news is there are professional power washing contractors out there that do have knowledge of equipment, cleaners, methods, business and customer satisfaction. While searching for a reputable contractor in your area keep some things in mind; always ask the contractor questions to test their knowledge, ask how long they’ve been in business, make sure they power wash full time and that they specialize in power washing only.

Stay away from contractors or handymen that offer every service under the sun like hauling trash, mowing, painting, power washing and so on. Find a contractor that makes his living serving others not one that just does it on the weekends for some extra beer money. Don’t buy into an unbelievably low price, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is, remember you get what you pay for. Finally, you should always ask the contractor for a written guarantee, references and testimonials. If they can’t stand behind their work or their customers aren’t saying good things about them then you can’t expect them to give you the professional results you expect.

Use the Proper Deck Cleaners

Having your wood deck appropriately maintained every couple of years is a terrific way to protect its looks and value. Some home owners neglect their wood deck so long that it becomes an eye sore to the neighborhood. A deck that is cleaned and sealed correctly, with the right deck cleaners, sealers and methods, will remain in good condition for several years. To have your deck looking good all the time, maintenance is required every couple of years. Maintenance methods will differ with every deck cleaning company but usually it will include a light washing and a re-seal of all the horizontal surfaces like the deck floor, steps and top hand rails. Every second maintenance coat, or every forth year, the entire deck needs to be washed and re-coated including the rim boards and all the spindles. Being on a deck cleaning maintenance plan like this with a quality deck cleaning contractor will mean a great looking deck that you and your family can have fun on for many seasons.

Deck Cleaning Benefits

Deck cleaning and sealing services are very accepted among home owners who recognize how important it can be to the being of their deck. With deck cleaning and sealing, the largest reason in doing the job correctly is choosing the proper cleaners and sealers. Preparing the wood suitably is just as important as the superiority of sealer that will be used. The most common reason a sealer falls short of expectations is because the wood was not prepared correctly. It will not matter if the sealer being used is expensive if the wood is not prepped appropriately the sealer will fail ahead of time.

Another fact to note is that wood is very soft and can be severely damaged and marked up from a high pressure washer. It is probably best to practice washing on a scrap piece of wood similar to that your deck was built with. If you don’t have a scrap piece of wood, try it on an inconspicuous location on your deck that is more or less out of sight.

If you are not practiced with operating a power washing unit or you don't have experience in staining wood, you may not want to embark upon a deck restoration project yourself. The favorable resolution is to hire a professional deck cleaning contractor to do the job for you.