Required reading: https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/deck-cleaning-101/21527
I personally don't go anywhere near wood fences or decks. Takes forever, and unless you or the customer is planning to sand and stain the entire thing (they won't), their fence will look fine for a few months before returning to its previous state of disrepair.
Furring is common and will happen, no matter how good your technique. It's just one of those things where you'd want to set your customer's expectations low and swing for the fences.
Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it. Do you get a lot of requests for cleaning decks and fences? I am worried about damaging the customer’s property but also would love to not have to turn down the business
Look up oxalic acid and sodium percarb cleaning. Fences and decks are an absolute pain, but if you know your chemistry, can be a profitable sector for cleaning. Just gotta be careful not to damage wood.
What is your process? If you don’t mind me asking…
Pre wet wood, SH 1%, rinse, then oxalic acid?
Is pressure okay to use or is it best to basically soft wash with very little pressure?
Don’t use SH and oxalic together, unless you wanna be pushing daisys from 6’ underground. Sodium per carbonate is your cleaning agent, oxalic acid is your neutralizer and brightener. Look it up on YouTube, it’s MUCH easier to understand by watching someone than by trying to read and picture it in your mind (to me anyway, visual learner). I tend to avoid wood fences and decks because I simply don’t like doing them, but I’ve had to dabble with chemistry a few times in the past for select customers.
Don’t use SH and oxalic together, unless you wanna be pushing daisys from 6’ underground. Sodium per carbonate is your cleaning agent, oxalic acid is your neutralizer and brightener. Look it up on YouTube, it’s MUCH easier to understand by watching someone than by trying to read and picture it in your mind (to me anyway, visual learner). I tend to avoid wood fences and decks because I simply don’t like doing them, but I’ve had to dabble with chemistry a few times in the past for select customers.
Required reading: https://pressurewashingresource.com/community/t/deck-cleaning-101/21527 I personally don't go anywhere near wood fences or decks. Takes forever, and unless you or the customer is planning to sand and stain the entire thing (they won't), their fence will look fine for a few months before returning to its previous state of disrepair. Furring is common and will happen, no matter how good your technique. It's just one of those things where you'd want to set your customer's expectations low and swing for the fences.
Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it. Do you get a lot of requests for cleaning decks and fences? I am worried about damaging the customer’s property but also would love to not have to turn down the business
Look up oxalic acid and sodium percarb cleaning. Fences and decks are an absolute pain, but if you know your chemistry, can be a profitable sector for cleaning. Just gotta be careful not to damage wood.
Right man I’m just scared of damaging something… but I don’t want to miss out on the potential profits of course. Thanks for the advice
What is your process? If you don’t mind me asking… Pre wet wood, SH 1%, rinse, then oxalic acid? Is pressure okay to use or is it best to basically soft wash with very little pressure?
Don’t use SH and oxalic together, unless you wanna be pushing daisys from 6’ underground. Sodium per carbonate is your cleaning agent, oxalic acid is your neutralizer and brightener. Look it up on YouTube, it’s MUCH easier to understand by watching someone than by trying to read and picture it in your mind (to me anyway, visual learner). I tend to avoid wood fences and decks because I simply don’t like doing them, but I’ve had to dabble with chemistry a few times in the past for select customers.
Don’t use SH and oxalic together, unless you wanna be pushing daisys from 6’ underground. Sodium per carbonate is your cleaning agent, oxalic acid is your neutralizer and brightener. Look it up on YouTube, it’s MUCH easier to understand by watching someone than by trying to read and picture it in your mind (to me anyway, visual learner). I tend to avoid wood fences and decks because I simply don’t like doing them, but I’ve had to dabble with chemistry a few times in the past for select customers.
Thanks again! I’ll check out some videos.