Hi, I have a redwood deck built in the summer of 2016 that needed a make over. I borrowed a gas pressure washer, and did a first pass of the wash. I have these questions:
1) To my surprise and disappointment, not all blackness comes right off with one or two sweep of the pressurized water fan (nozzle for deck was chosen and pressure to 2300 psi). Should I and is it necessary to be a perfectionist to try to remove all the blackness from the wood? Granted, as soon as the water dries, the wood already looks a lot brighter than what it was before, but it bugs me to know that there is still some of that "stuff" in the wood. I just don't know if it's going to damage the wood if I try to get the nozzle too close and sweep too slow.
2) Today is Sunday. I already did one pass this morning. I plan to wash a second pass tomorrow morning after picking up more gas. If I go with water based stain+sealer from Home Depot, can I apply the stain on Tuesday afternoon even if the wood is not 100% dry? Forecast: 30% light rain (most likely fog drizzles) after 11pm tonight till tomorrow (Monday) morning. Then cloudy to sunny after that in the next few days. High 63, low 47.
3) ALL videos I watched about washing a deck does not show an effort to go outside to wash the outside of the railing. Granted, the railing elements (esp. the skinny vertical members) are tedious to wash and the angle is not good (facing the house), and also they might be high (or even too high to be possible). But question is: should I not be concerned about the durability of those faces that I do not wash? Should I just apply the stain+sealer over those unwashed faces nontheless?
Thank you!
1) To my surprise and disappointment, not all blackness comes right off with one or two sweep of the pressurized water fan (nozzle for deck was chosen and pressure to 2300 psi). Should I and is it necessary to be a perfectionist to try to remove all the blackness from the wood? Granted, as soon as the water dries, the wood already looks a lot brighter than what it was before, but it bugs me to know that there is still some of that "stuff" in the wood. I just don't know if it's going to damage the wood if I try to get the nozzle too close and sweep too slow.
2) Today is Sunday. I already did one pass this morning. I plan to wash a second pass tomorrow morning after picking up more gas. If I go with water based stain+sealer from Home Depot, can I apply the stain on Tuesday afternoon even if the wood is not 100% dry? Forecast: 30% light rain (most likely fog drizzles) after 11pm tonight till tomorrow (Monday) morning. Then cloudy to sunny after that in the next few days. High 63, low 47.
3) ALL videos I watched about washing a deck does not show an effort to go outside to wash the outside of the railing. Granted, the railing elements (esp. the skinny vertical members) are tedious to wash and the angle is not good (facing the house), and also they might be high (or even too high to be possible). But question is: should I not be concerned about the durability of those faces that I do not wash? Should I just apply the stain+sealer over those unwashed faces nontheless?
Thank you!
