When the time comes for cleaning a wood fence around your home, you have two choices at your disposal. You can call your local Expert Deck and Fence Cleaners to come out and do the work or you clean that wood fences yourself. If the second option sounds right up your alley, then you’ll want to get some helpful tips on how to go about doing that work with the most efficacy.
Damaged Fencing
The first thing you want to do before you start cleaning any portion of your fencing is to inspect it for damage. You may find things like cracked or broken boards, rusted nails, pest infestation, rot, mold and mildew, you name it. In the case of rot and/or bugs, you could be facing a real uphill battle in bringing that fence back to its original luster.
So, the thing to do before anything else is to check if the wood surface is marred by any soft areas in the boards and posts. Look at the places where the joints meet to see if the fence has any vulnerabilities or showing signs of wear. If you do find any of these signs of disrepair, you may want to do the work of repairing and/or replacing the affected areas first.
Power Washing the Fence
We all know what a power washer does and how it works, but not many of us have actually used one before. You might be surprised at how much power this type of equipment truly has behind it.
Given the operational capability of most power washers and the velocity at which they can expel water, you can be sure this thing has the capacity for both getting the job done right and potentially damaging the fence. Which is why you must test the surface of the fence to be sure it can withstand the force of pressure from the nozzle.
What makes the power washer so important to the cleaning process of your wood is that the water can be successful at not just wiping out all the years of dirt and grime build-up but also peeling off the top layer of the damaged and faded wood cell that are marring the appearance of the fence. You want that top layer removed and a rough texture left behind because those nooks and crannies are going to be necessary for holding the new layer of oil stain you’re going to be applying after you clean the wood.
Remember to be cautious when you’re using a power washer, don’t aim it at anyone and only use it on wood surfaces that won’t collapse under the force of the water.
Staining the Fence
After you’re finished power washing the fence and you’ve allowed it to dry completely (give it about 24-48 hours), you can now start to put a new coat of oil stain over the entirety of the fence. Let it soak in and bond with the wood surface and you can be sure it will be able to stand up to the elements and look great for years to come.