Raw Wooden Decks - Certified SoftWash Roof Cleaning

Darryl Freeman · Freshmen Member

Raw Wooden Decks

John Aloisio · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

Darryl,

The spots where it was dripping most likely are lighter and not blending, because as the solution puddles and drips it can increase in strength. If it kept dripping in one place over and over, it would be lighter than the rest of the deck that was only sprayed with a fan coat. To avoid this you should do the decks first, like you said. This should minimize the blotches, but you should keep the deck really wet in areas that the house will drip from. If you are doing a roof mix, you might want to tarp the deck and divert the mix. Also, the Wood Restore product will give you a more uniform look, better than Final Wash.

Hope this helps!

Tim Teed · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

try to manage cust expectations. Even though you cover or tarp deck, the solution may find its way in there to the wood. It could even happen after you leave and you get run off from dew or rain that gets the cleaning solution on the deck. A lot of the deck coatings on exotics are like a film and come off easily. I would recommend that you tell homeowner to have their deck guy come out after you are done.

Darryl Freeman · Freshmen Member

Thank you John,

Notes taken.

Darryl Freeman · Freshmen Member

Thank you Tim,

Good advice to manage customer expectations. In many cases I am the deck guy.

In the case of this untreated, Indonesian hard wood deck. I prefer to avoid any irregularities or potential hazards that would require further work, vs. preparing the customer for them.

You mention a few possible problems I will do my best to avoid.

Troy Layman · Lead Tech

Darryl,

I've little experience with decks, but it may be worthwhile on homes with no gutters to rinse several feet up from the edge of the roof so a heavy dew or light rain won't reactivate SH/CH and cause it to drip onto the deck after you leave and cause further bleaching. The best advice is what was given above...manage the customers expectations early and remind them you are spraying a liquid - it is going to splash around a bit and get on surfaces that are not on the cleaning list and may create a clean spot. Also use this as an opportunity to up sale and add other work that may be needed that the customer didn't originally ask for. Or, if it is a reasonable size and doesn't wreck your time table, clean it anyway as a way of "customer servicing" the heck out of them and make sure they leave you a favorable review on your website. 5-15 minutes extra for a good review goes a long way for a new business.

Chad Eneix · SoftWash Systems Authorized Professional

Another trick, which can also help with plant damage under drip lines, is to Plant Wash the bottom 1/3 of the roof. Remember Plant Wash is much, much stronger of a neutralizer than Final Wash. I know wood restore also has stronger neutralizing properties then Final Wash, but I'm not how it compares to Plant Wash.

Also, a word of caution when spraying Plant Wash directly on an area treated with an SH mix, BE CAREFUL. The reaction creates a pretty noxious odor/gas. You will want to do it quickly, at the very end, from a ladder, and then get down.

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Darryl,

Also note that the wood from the drip line out will have UV damage from the sun and will bleach lighter than the wood from the drip line back to the house. We choose to manage the customers expectations as well. I would never sell the roof cleaning without the deck. I would push the customer to the absolute limits to have you clean the deck as well next time so the results are consistant.

Hope this helps,

AC

Darryl Freeman · Freshmen Member

Troy, Chad and AC,

I appreciate your input as well, thank you!

I'm a perfectionist, I do try to up-sell all surfaces that can be improved, and give all my customers a generous amount of bonus cleaning. Furthermore, I'll spend a little cash on gifts for them. A few of my favorite are 1/4 turn spigots $7ea., Avaleisure Eco Sprayers $10 check them out! buy one! and the Plus Model! ( http://www.amazon.com/Pressure-Sprayer-Multi-Purpose-Eco-Sprayer-AVALEISURE/dp/B00ONVADOK ) and Tbars and Squeegies for those who prefer to clean their own interior glass $20. It adds to the WOW Factor.

What I take from the Teak Deck experience, and repeated "up sell" mentioned here, if a raw deck has an area that can't be avoided, the entire deck need's to be mandatory.

The next property/deck I mentioned, I now know is Ipe, (not Indonesian). It's not the roof getting cleaned but everything below it, gutters, eaves, walls, raw Ipe stairs and multiple small decks. The eaves are open/exposed style like most in Hawaii and the drip line would be the inside of the fascia board. This drip line runs parallel down the center of the raw Ipe stairs and across the upstairs deck (photo included.)

I still plan to do the Ipe first then neutralize.

QUESTIONS:

AC, how does the neutralizing strength of Wood Restore compare to that of Plant Wash?
Everybody, If you can't do both, would you guys cover and divert or continuously rinse to protect the stairs while bleaching walls, eaves and the inside of fascia board?

Thank you all for your input and advice!

I should add, Months ago I did a walk through with the Operations and Facility Manager of Honolulu Museum of Arts who have 3 large, amazing properties. Nothing has come of it yet, but he called me for this property belonging to his father.

They must receive every bit of spectacular!

-- Edited by Darryl Freeman on Thursday 3rd of March 2016 04:51:42 AM

Troy Layman · Lead Tech

Darryl,

From the photo, I'd also mention to the customer that they may experience some flaking of paint during the cleaning process. That's not a negative side effect from your cleaning process, but the surface wasn't cleaned properly before it was painted and the algae that was painted over lifted and separated the new layer of paint...making it really easy to come off with even the most gentle of pressure.

"They must receive every bit of spectacular!" - nice tag line. :0)

Darryl Freeman · Freshmen Member

Hi Troy,

This is the guest house, 1 of 3 buildings on property. That patio roof is the only failed paint on the property, he is aware of it and they will repaint the section afterwards.

Thank you!