We have vinyl siding on our house and a combination of pine pollen, humidity, and the neighbor's wood fired heat has done a job on the surface. Nothing really bad just a general dirtiness with some areas of green. I decided I wanted to wash it with a power washer and I always remember those dramatic before and after photos you posted up when you and Rob did your deck shortly after buying your house, Sal.
http://www.digisal.com/yblog/archive/2006_05_01_archive.html (http://www.digisal.com/yblog/archive/2006_05_01_archive.html)
So, off to Lowes and we picked up a Troy Built Power Washer.
http://www.troybilt-gen-pw.com/pressure_washers/model.cfm?id=422 (http://www.troybilt-gen-pw.com/pressure_washers/model.cfm?id=422)
That and a 12 foot extension pole with mico-fiber head and vinyl siding wash fluid. It was raining off and on yesterday. I was able to just get the mowing done as it started to rain steady. I figured as long as it is raining why not do the siding and test drive the new power washer. Easy set-up and hook up and what a difference without really that much effort. I got two sides of the house done and decided to try it on the wood deck. Our deck looks about as bad as your before photo. I wanted to test it on a small area so I did the stairs. I will look at it after work today when the rain has stopped and the sun has a chance to dry it. I just want to make sure my technique isn't shredding the wood.
Sal, did you treat yours afterward? I arseume you did and did it work out well in the end? Just wondering how everything held up on your deck. The difference in the deck stairs I did yesterday are about as dramatic an improvement as you got. I love it when power tools make a job a no brainer.
David
I keep trying to correct the spelling on a - s - s - u - m - e in the previous post. I say WTF? It won't save my correction. Then I look at it a second or three and saw the obvious. What is the saying when we arseume something? ;D
David
ah David, you'd be so dissappointed me. I didn't treat the wood after that and it turned back into the before pictures before my very eyes BUT a few weeks ago I power washed it again, but this time with a Campbell Electric Power Washer and I burned that sucker out before I got to finish it. So right now, half looks good and half looks really bad.
I need o redux, redux....