Call me crazy-surface cleaner on a deck

[Gary Schell]

Heard from a reliable source the tricks to using a surface cleaner on a deck...so I tried it out...not too bad if I do say so myself. No fuzz, less than 20 minutes on the deck surface, perfectly fit under the bottom rail of the railings...stripper did all the work...lol

[StainlessDeal]

OK Crazy-surface cleaner on a deck, why can't we just keep on calling you Gary? Yuk-Yuk!

I'll be appearing here all week, remember to tip your servers.

Care to elaborate on the secret and the source thereof?

[John-Clean County PW]

Hey Gary I like the way you put your company name on that surface cleaner. My guess is you pretty much built it from some parts you had laying around. It looks cool.

Years ago I would use a surface cleaner on decks & with NO CHEMICALS. Pure pressure baby. I let it rip... and I got away with it because not only did I not know any better but non of my customers at the time did either. I still to this day maybe get a call or two from some old customers who want me to use that surface machine again on there deck..lol The answer today is never. Its so much easier to spray the right cleaners and brightners on a deck and pretty much just power rinse it off and it comes out so much better. I can say that I never did use my surface machines on decks with any chemicals like the way you did in your pictures. The problem with that for me today is I have a couple of workers and my concerned above all other concerns would be what if they didnt move the surface machine when they first squeeze the gun and also when they get to the end of the boards they stop for that ever so long second before they bring the machine back down and they leave those.....RING MARKS in the poor wood. Been there and done that... and got away with it. Today its a whole new story and its called the internet and youtube. People are much more aware of what there job entails now more then ever.

[Carolina ProWash]

You're not crazy Gary - or alone. You just have to be aware of what your equipment actually does :) We've used a surface cleaner on mass quantities of wood with success as well. It's not an everyday thing but it's like any other tool in the arsenal. It has its place on some jobs :)

[Beth n Rod]

Because of the circular motion, surface cleaners on wood are not recommended. There is only one species tough enough to use it on, and even then I would not advocate it. Going against the grain will erode the softwood, and create the need for greater prep (assuming you are doing the proper prep before sealing). See also: http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2001/willi01b.pdf

Beth

[Russ Johnson]

My guess is you pretty much built it from some parts you had laying around.

Mrs Schell is still looking for her wok...

[Gary Schell]

Mrs Schell is still looking for her wok...

LOL

Nah, that's a small Steel Eagle I picked up ages ago from Dale Millere (Sparkling Detail)

John, Still have that one I bought from you.

Must be preparing things right...never had a call back for a deck finish failure.

[AlwaysAqua]

I know a guy who uses wolman, but has used surface cleaners on his deck for years. He has restored millions of SF of deck in 20 years. His name is Phil the Deck Guy.