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Ezine ready page
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Posted on April 1, 2006 by Alphonso Sirtle.. | Posted under Landscaping Gardening
Deck Cleaning
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When it comes to the cleaning process there is a lot of poor information. For example, how often have you heard you should use chlorine bleach to clean your deck? Well its a great choice if need to sanitize your deck and kill germs but its going to kill the plants and shrubs around your deck and it will take the color right out of your wood. It doesnt just remove color from your laundry. Another big mistake is power washing your deck. Every year hundreds of people ruin their decks. Think about it. The wood is soft and with the high pressure steam it easy to erode. I guess if you manage to hold the wand just right and use just the right amount of pressure you might cause minimal damage. Sodium Hydroxide is touted as a very good cleaner but its also very toxic and all the right precautions need to be taken. Be sure to read the instructions carefully as it is highly caustic. You also need to be careful when using it on the wood because it can discolor some types of wood or if used incorrectly. There are several products on the market that are designed to clean your deck. Use one of those. Stain solver is one of those that seems to get high reviews wherever you go you might want to check it out. Another one is oxygen bleach. This is not the same as regular bleach so dont get confused and dont go to your store and expect them to know what you are talking about. It takes years for brand name recognition to make its way down the line. You can however find it easily online. Oxalic Acid based cleaners will clean the wood but they are a poor choice for removing mildew stains. It is a good choice for removing tanning stains. If you arent familiar with tannins they are naturally occurring resins that are water soluble with a reddish brown color. Sometimes all that is needed is an environmentally friendly soap and a good scrub brush. Deck brushes that you use on a boat are a great choice soft enough not to damage the wood but built to get into the crevasses. Sometimes we become mesmerized by all the fancy ads and fancy products when they arent really needed. Sometimes all we need is good old basic tools to do the job and products that arent harmful to the environment or us. The key to deck cleaning is to do your research and be comfortable with your product choice. Once you have cleaned your decks you are ready to apply wood sealer to keep your wood healthy and looking great each year. After all the exterior of your home is as important as the interior. About The Author: Alphonso has been working in the home remodeling industry for last 5 years. Take advantage of his experience and written material on deck ideas at his website at http://www.improve-home.com |
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