Etched deck with power washer
August 9, 2015 8:03 AM Subscribe
I am an idiot and etched my deck with a power washer. Actually I don't know if "etched" is the right word as I can't feel any physical difference where the light marks are, so maybe I just removed the oxidation.
It's a new deck with unfinished lumber (built about 6 mos ago and the advice was to let it weather for several months to become more porous/lose the mill glaze so it would absorb sealant better), and it has gotten gray all over and blackish under a tree. It had a lot of fruit matter from the tree dried on it so in trying to get the stubborn bits off, I accidentally created snake lines in places. I know. Some of the lines look like totally fresh wood, but, again, I don't feel a difference in texture, it's perfectly smooth from the "etched" to the weathered wood.
1) If I leave it alone, will it weather back to match the rest or will it always be visible?
2) Would using deck cleaner brighten the rest of it enough to make then lines disappear?
3) Would it be crazy to just lightly sand, by hand, the worst marks to try to make them blend in? We are definitely not sanding the whole deck.
4) Any other ideas? In googling I have mostly only found warnings not to let this happen. The internet is surprisingly thin on suggestions for fixing it. Or maybe I don't know the right search terms.
It's a new deck with unfinished lumber (built about 6 mos ago and the advice was to let it weather for several months to become more porous/lose the mill glaze so it would absorb sealant better), and it has gotten gray all over and blackish under a tree. It had a lot of fruit matter from the tree dried on it so in trying to get the stubborn bits off, I accidentally created snake lines in places. I know. Some of the lines look like totally fresh wood, but, again, I don't feel a difference in texture, it's perfectly smooth from the "etched" to the weathered wood.
1) If I leave it alone, will it weather back to match the rest or will it always be visible?
2) Would using deck cleaner brighten the rest of it enough to make then lines disappear?
3) Would it be crazy to just lightly sand, by hand, the worst marks to try to make them blend in? We are definitely not sanding the whole deck.
4) Any other ideas? In googling I have mostly only found warnings not to let this happen. The internet is surprisingly thin on suggestions for fixing it. Or maybe I don't know the right search terms.
I agree with boo, if you can't feel indentations, you probably don't have a huge problem, you have parts that are cleaner than other parts... Before I put a lot of energy into any solution, I would apply a small test section (that includes one of your snakes, probably just a few square inches) of the stain you're going to use, let it dry and see how it looks.
posted by HuronBob at 8:10 AM on August 9, 2015
posted by HuronBob at 8:10 AM on August 9, 2015
Best answer: I do this on a regular basis (making the 'snake patterns'), and can tell you from experience that if the wood was not "etched", it will quickly begin to blend in...A couple times I have used a stiff bristled brush (like the kind you do the tires with while car washing) and gone over those areas* while wet - you will probably find the snake patterns to be, as boo_radley said, the clean parts, and the rest of your deck is just a bit dirtier than you thought :)
*You don't have to scrub real hard, just kinda do a sweeping motion back and forth a few times.
posted by PlantGoddess at 8:17 AM on August 9, 2015
*You don't have to scrub real hard, just kinda do a sweeping motion back and forth a few times.
posted by PlantGoddess at 8:17 AM on August 9, 2015
I did this, too, it subsides/blends in rather quickly.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:19 AM on August 9, 2015
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:19 AM on August 9, 2015
I'm not as convinced as the others. I cleaned our concrete path just over a year ago and did the bottom of some wooden fencing at the same time. The 'snakes' are still there and would guess will be a for a bit longer. Its a bit different as its a vertical surface rather than horizontal and being underfoot might help your decking re-achieve its patina of filth.
posted by biffa at 10:10 AM on August 9, 2015
posted by biffa at 10:10 AM on August 9, 2015
Sanding wood will make it all lighter/brighter. Sanded wooden flooring (admittedly in my case it's teak not whatever your decking is made of) will given time and people walking on it go back to the same colour as the rest.
If you want to scrub it - and I tend to think that's a good idea, but I spend time in places where wood tends to go green if ignored too long - then scrub across the grain (across the planks rather than along them), as scrubbing along the grain also risks actual etching away of softer bits. Of course, if your decking has a deliberately grooved surface, I have no idea if that would be a sensible thing to do, sorry. I'm mostly scrubbing flat things.
Personally I don't think you've got a problem here, but I also don't know what your decking looks like, so I could be wrong. I also think they're just clean bits.
posted by Lebannen at 2:59 PM on August 9, 2015
If you want to scrub it - and I tend to think that's a good idea, but I spend time in places where wood tends to go green if ignored too long - then scrub across the grain (across the planks rather than along them), as scrubbing along the grain also risks actual etching away of softer bits. Of course, if your decking has a deliberately grooved surface, I have no idea if that would be a sensible thing to do, sorry. I'm mostly scrubbing flat things.
Personally I don't think you've got a problem here, but I also don't know what your decking looks like, so I could be wrong. I also think they're just clean bits.
posted by Lebannen at 2:59 PM on August 9, 2015
Response by poster: Okay, thank you so much, I'm going to try scrubbing it with a stiff-bristled brush and then maybe grinding some dirt in just to make the contrast less visible. And comfort myself with the knowledge that I'm not the only one who's done this.
posted by HotToddy at 7:50 AM on August 10, 2015
posted by HotToddy at 7:50 AM on August 10, 2015
Response by poster: Following up! Scrubbing with a stiff-bristled brush was BRILLIANT. I can't believe how well it worked. You can see lighter-colored areas where I scrubbed but the snakes are totally obliterated. Thank you!!
posted by HotToddy at 5:25 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by HotToddy at 5:25 PM on August 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by boo_radley at 8:07 AM on August 9, 2015 [2 favorites]