I remember the poll I posted about what wood do you work most often with. Redwood was real low. Redwood never but now p-treated mite be a differant story.

Why do I like doing Deck Refinishing? I like taking somthing that looks like crap and making it look like new. Why? Good question! I hate painting! Deck Refinishers don't paint!

Quote from Jim Bilyeu
If your only getting 10 to 15 years life out of a deck, somthing is wrong. Maby your seeing the effects of using bleach and just not knowing it. Bleach speeds up the degrading process, not blow it up.



I just happened to be looking at this website last night
it is from the this old house website.


Pressure-Treated Wood

Advantages: Economical and plentiful, pressure-treated wood lasts around 15 years when properly treated with a water repellent every two years.
Everyone has their oppinion I guess.
Mine comes from asking the deck building contractors in my area and research on the web.
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/prin...220405,00.html

A.K.A. J.R. Wood

I routinely see ptw and cedar decks that are over 20 years old, many older than that.

Personally, I don't really care what This Old House says, because they are not wood care experts.

Bleach is not a cleaner, it is more of a disinfectant, and a mighty harsh one at that.

Why even think about using bleach when there are so many products available that work so much better?

The right tool for the job is the way to go....and bleach is not the right tool for washing wood decks.

Tony C.

A-Plus Power Washing
Riverview, MI.
Office : 734-281-5511

WWW.APLUSPOWERWASH.COM

"You Can't Get Better Than A-PLUS!!"

This an OPINION loaded question and good professionals here will disagree on the use of bleach when cleaning decks.

I've seen products that advicate the use of bleach in them when cleaning decks,sidings etc. such as JOMAX.

I for one believe in the use of Chlorine which is 2.5 times the strength of bleach in my mix to just clean decks. I've tried other cleaners but I am very satisfied with my cleaning mixture which is very Cheap for me to use and with excellent results.

Its just a matter of Opinion where guys Like Jim Bilyeu who is a top professional will say no to bleach and companies like JOMAX will say otherwise.

The only way to learn is by trial and error with hopefully not to much of the error.

Good Luck

John Tornabene
Clean County Powerwashing

I use bleach for mildew and algae only...but I still use it!

A.K.A. J.R. Wood

I can speak from both angles. I have used bleach to clean decks with great results. One thing I notice is that bleaching a deck tends to raise more grain than say Wolman's or other products that don't contain bleach. Also, I see a difference in the color of the wood whan it dries, a bleached deck seems almost white compared to the more natural look a wood brightener leaves. So after 6 years of doing it both ways I say this....I prefer a wood brightener at higher cost but to me it does a better job. But I did vote sometimes because there are still some occasions where I use bleach on decks. It is a very powerful weapon against mildew. If a deck has a goos finish but is just mildewed, I will downstream bleach then rinse. Clean as a whistle. If I am doing a maintenance coat I may use bleach just to kill any mildew that may be on the surface. Bare wood, I almost always use a brightener to clean for a more natural look.

Mike's Powerwashing

Wow.............old poll ressurected! I personally use oxygenated bleach, but only use regular bleach on extremely moldy decks............the kind that are dark green with caked on mold. They are few and far between around here.......

Mike Hughes,
Everclear Cleaning Services, Inc.
Souderton, PA

email me at sbnetwork at Comcast.net

Mike:

By "oxygenated bleach" do you mean sodium percarbonate? My understanding is that it is a totally different substance...

Does anyone know if this stuff even kills organics, or is it just a hell of a good soap? I know it does wonders for cleaning wood, but what about removing mold/algae? Is it as effective as regular chlorine?

Mike Williamson
North Florida Pressure Washing
352-213-7765
mike@northfloridapressurewashing.com
www.gainesvillepressurewash.com

Mike,

I have used EFC 38 for mold and mildew on wood. But I am not sure it actually kills the spores, but removes the green.

As stated in one of the posts above, Jomax does use bleach when mixed according to the label. It works fantastic on siding and flatstone around gardens. I had excellent results and no problems with the surrounding vegetation.

I would really like to see a manufacturer come out with a stripper that not only removes mold and mildew, but kills the spores as well as a 1part bleach to 4 parts water does.

Reed

REED'S DECK AND FENCE CARE
636-397-2858
Professional Products
Professional Service
Professional Results

By "oxygenated bleach" do you mean sodium percarbonate? My understanding is that it is a totally different substance...

Oneness, Are you thinking about Oxalic Acid, or Wood Bleach?

Oxalic Acid = Wood Bleach
Oxygenated Non Chlorine Bleach = Sodium Percarbonate

These are two totally different substances.

Michael Tessaro
Centex Pressure Washing Service
" God doesnt subtract from the allotted span of mens lives the hours he spent fishing..."