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After completing a deck last fall, I was given two pieces of advice: 1.) let the deck weather for 1 year before applying a preservative (I am planning to apply Cabot’s clear preservative this summer), 2.) don’t pressure wash the deck as the pressure washing not only forces the preservative out of the wood, it also damages the surface layer of the wood, which will lead to early decay/damage. I followed this advice; unfortunately the green ink/dye the manfacturer used to identify the grade of the wood decking has not faded nor can I remove it with full strengh deck cleaner. I am hesitant to pressure wash the ink off, due to the advice I recieved above, and I don’t want to seal the ink marking into the wood with a coat of preservative. Any suggestions on how to eliminate the green ink and still preserve the wood?
Thanks,
Don
Replies
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fine sandpaper and some elbow grease.
Pete Draganic
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RE: deck problem
Two comments,
1 the green dye you refer to is the colour of the preservative and is impregnated in the wood and cannot be effectively removed.
Most presure treated wood is of low grade spruce and I would question why you would want to use a clear finish on this wood. Clear would be advisable for a cedar or redwood deck.
Gabe Martel
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You really don't have to wait that long. A month of rainy weather is fine. Don't be afraid to power wash, just keep the pressure down low and use a wide spread. You should only need this kind of effort with a mildew/grime build up, though. I've found that a semi-transparent oil based stain works best, but you really need to do a quick cleaning and new top coat every three or four years.
*We typically wait 30-60 days before staining or sealing our decks. Fine sandpaper or a low pressure wash should remove most if not all of the ink. If all else fails try a weak bleach solution to lighten the color of the ink so that it is not as noticable.
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After completing a deck last fall, I was given two pieces of advice: 1.) let the deck weather for 1 year before applying a preservative (I am planning to apply Cabot's clear preservative this summer), 2.) don't pressure wash the deck as the pressure washing not only forces the preservative out of the wood, it also damages the surface layer of the wood, which will lead to early decay/damage. I followed this advice; unfortunately the green ink/dye the manfacturer used to identify the grade of the wood decking has not faded nor can I remove it with full strengh deck cleaner. I am hesitant to pressure wash the ink off, due to the advice I recieved above, and I don't want to seal the ink marking into the wood with a coat of preservative. Any suggestions on how to eliminate the green ink and still preserve the wood?
Thanks,
Don