Over time your deck and fence can get dirty from poor weather, dirt and general wear and tear - it’s inevitable. Neglected decks will often develop permanent stains, splintered wood and mould. While this is the case, there are a few things you can do once this happens to get your deck back to the same pristine condition it was when you first built it and to ensure it’s long life.
Not only will keeping your decking and fencing clean help make it look fantastic, but since your deck is likely to add huge value to your house, it’s important to keep your deck in the best condition possible.
Sanding is one option to refresh your decking and fencing boards if dirt and grime have built up over the years or you need to sand back a light top layer before refinishing. The best methods for removing any unwanted material that’s developed on the boards is regular sweeping, annual water blasting and brushing with a deck cleaner. In this guide, we’ll share our top tips for keeping your decking and fencing clean and looking as good as new.
Equipment needed for the job
The main equipment you’ll need to complete this job are a water blaster, a brush and a floor sander. When it comes to water blasting your deck or fence, most types of water blasters will do the job. If you’re looking to hire a water blaster, we have a great collection of water blasters available including a single phase electric water blaster, petrol water blaster, dual petrol water blaster and more.
If you don’t already own a floor sander, then you can hire one from Hirepool. It’ll be much cheaper than buying a floor sander, and if you’re not going to be using it that often then it probably makes the most sense! Your best options for hiring a floor sander from Hirepool are the 200mm drum floor sander and the 400mm sander/scrubber floor rotary, although we’d recommend using the drum floor sander. You can also hire a floor edge sander to get the edges of the deck that are too shallow for the drum floor sander to get to.
Deck cleaning solutions also come in handy as they are excellent at removing grime and dirt from decks and fences.
Steps for keeping decking and fencing clean
Stage 1: Sweep the deck/fence
To get started, give your deck or fence a good sweep to clear off any small bits and bobs that are unwanted such as leaves, rocks and excess dirt. Your best friend here is a broom, which you should use regularly with a soft broom to stop small particles from building up and becoming a bigger mess.
Stage 2: Waterblast the deck/fence
Once your deck or fence has been swept with a broom, it’s time to use your water blaster. The water blaster here is excellent for removing dirt and grime simply from the pressure of the water, and will also help you when you need to scrub the deck later.
- Hook up your nearest hose to the water blaster and apply the water to the entire deck or fence.
- To use the water blaster, you first need to switch it on at the machine and adjust the pressure on the nozzle to your desired pressure, bearing in mind you don’t want too much.
- Then press the trigger and aim the nozzle about 4 feet away from the deck or fence and slowly move it closer to get the cleaning effect that you want.
Stage 3: Brush the deck/fence with deck cleaner
Following the instructions of your deck cleaner, mix it with water with the right mix.
- Dip your brush into the deck cleaner mix you’ve just made and start scrubbing.
- Avoid getting the mix anywhere other than your deck and especially not on your plants as it can cause damage to plants.
- Once you’ve finished brushing the deck, you should leave it for an extra 20 minutes and then you can use the water blaster again to wash it off.
Stage 4: Use a sander
If your deck is looking a bit old and has a few stains on it, a sander should be your go-to so that you can re-treat it and give it a new lease on life. Before you start using the sander, you’ll need to get your personal protective gear on such as your eye goggles, earmuffs, gloves and dust mask if you have respiratory issues. The most important thing when you’re sanding your deck, is to stick with the grain otherwise you can damage and sometimes ruin the timber.
- When you’re using the floor sander, you should keep a firm hold of the handle of the sander to avoid as much kickback as possible, and you should keep bystanders away from where you’re working.
- On the handle of the floor sander, you’ll find the controls to turn it on.
- Press the operating throttles on the handle to get started.
- To achieve the best results, you should run the floor sander along the grain of the decking boards.
- Keep the sander moving at an even and steady pace to create an even finish from the sander.
Ready to get cleaning?
Then let’s chat - swing by your local Hirepol branch to chat to our team today or book your equipment quickly and effortlessly online.
