A badly cleaned wooden deck is recognisable straight away: raised fibres, splinters, lance marks. Unlike tiles, wood cannot be put right. Here is what you must not do.
Mistake no. 1: maximum pressure
This is the most destructive mistake. Too high a pressure tears away the soft part of the wood and leaves permanent grooves. Wood is cleaned at low pressure, with a wide, diffuse jet, never a concentrated one.
Mistake no. 2: holding the lance too close
Even at moderate pressure, a nozzle a few centimetres from the wood causes damage. Keep a distance of 30 to 50 cm and a constant angle. On soft or old wood, brushing by hand is sometimes still the safest solution.
Remember
on wood, patience replaces power. Better to take a little more time than to end up with a permanently marked deck.
Mistake no. 3: working across the boards
The jet must always follow the direction of the boards, never across them. Working across forces water into the fibres and lifts the wood.
Mistake no. 4: forgetting greying removal and protection
Cleaned wood remains vulnerable. Once fully dry, a wood brightener restores the original colour, and an oil or wood saturator protects against UV and moisture. Without this step, the wood turns grey again within a few months.
The right method in brief
- low pressure, diffuse jet;
- distance of 30 to 50 cm;
- movement along the boards;
- greying removal, then oil once the wood is dry.
Hardwoods (ipe, teak) and composite have their own requirements. To avoid any risk, trust your deck to a specialist: discover our wooden deck cleaning or request a free quote.