How To Pressure Wash Your Dock?
Josh Richards • Jan 26, 2023
How to Pressure Wash your Dock?
Living in a luxury house could be painful sometimes. It may get troublesome cleaning the wood around the home. And if you own a boat dock, your troubles aren't going any farther. But don't worry. We have a solution: pressure washing your dock.
Pressure washing a dock sometimes is as simple as cleaning with a pressure washer. Why? Because you don't want chemicals spilling into the lake. Not all chemicals are eco-friendly. But the one we will use is harmless. So let's get started and start cleaning the dock.
How to Clean Your Dock with a Pressure Washer?
Gathering tools and supplies
The tools and supplies you need for the job (pressure washing) include:
Why Clean Boat Dock?
Cleaning boat docks is as essential as cleaning your boat. Leaving it dirty will lead to rotting, which will lead to damaging the entire dock. You certainly don't want a damaged dock. It could be too risky. To save you from all the troubles, we recommend timely dock cleaning.
There are several reasons to clean your dock. We have a couple of those for you:
Protection from ElementsMold and mildew aren't suitable for anyone: not for the wood, humans, and sea creatures. The dock will also become slimy, making it a good place to slip and fall. You don't want to slip and fall into the water. You also don't want your family and friends to fall and hurt themself. So that becomes one of the major reasons to protect the dock wood and clean it.
Maintain Good AppearanceWho wants to live in a dirty house? No one. The dock is part of your house. You don't want a messy and slimy dock, even when you don't frequently use it. Regularly washing it is the only way to keep a neat and clean dock.
Pressure Washing Your Dock
There are several methods to wash the dock. Pressure washing is the one we are using for this post. However, if the dock is built from softwood, use a soft wash to clean the wood.
Pressure washing usually doesn't require any solution or chemical. However, we'll be using an eco-friendly solution.
Inspect the Wood
Sometimes it's pretty apparent that the wood on the dock requires cleaning. But sometimes, you need to look under the dock.
We suggest cleaning the hardwood every two to three years. So start inspecting the wood after two years of cleaning it. Since there is no hard and fast rule, you may keep a close eye and regularly monitor the wood for cleaning.
Signs depicting that your dock requires cleaning include rotting, mold, mildew, etc. When inspecting the wood for cleaning, do look for loose boards. Also, look if the screws and nails are rusting and require replacement. If you found any such abnormality, fix it and then start the cleaning process.
Inspecting the wood will also help in deciding which washing method to adopt. If we are pressure washing the dock, you don't necessarily have to do that.
Clean the Dock
Now that you're sure to clean the dock, get rid of any dirt, dust, or debris from the board. Use broom, brush, or leaf blower. Leaf blowers aren't only to through away leaves. They can remove dust and other elements as well. When buying a leaf blower, get the one matching your needs.
Prepare the Cleaning Solution
Marine life is precious to us. We already have done too bad for it. So when using a dock cleaner, always use an ex-friendly solution.
Many manufacturers produce marine life-friendly solutions, such as Defy Marine Seal Wood Dock Cleaner. It's safe both for marine life and plants. It can remove dirt, grime, mildew, and graying from wood.
You don't need to prepare the solution. The company rolls out ready-to-use solutions in the container. You only need to pour the solution (according to the surface area) into the pump sprayer.
If you don't want or need any solution, you may clean the dock using the pressure washer. It will also remove dirt and grime and prepare the surface for staining.
Some solutions aren't suitable for the wood. They may ruin the look. Be sure to read the instructions before applying the chemical. Better to test the solution on a small piece before applying the solution to the entire dock. If it gives a poor result, stop there and contact a professional.
Apply the Solution
Now that you have prepared the solution, it's time to apply it on the board. Using the pump sprayer, evenly sprinkle the solution. Let it rest for a few minutes, as instructed by the manufacturer.
Tip: Wear protective gear while applying the solutions and pressure washing.
Scrub the Wood
Scrubbing isn't always required when using a cleaner. But if you must, be sure to go gentle on the wood. Read instructions on the container. If it says no scrubbing is required, move to the next phase.
Rinse with a Pressure Washer
Now to the final step of cleaning the dock - pressure washing the dock. For hardwoods, use high PSI. Use 1,200 to 1,500 PSI on softwoods. While you can use as high as 3,000 PSI on hardwoods. You may also change nozzle degrees depending on the wood.
Keep the pressure gun a few inches away from the surface, whatever method you choose.
If you aren't sure about the kind of wood installed on the dock, we suggest hiring professionals to do the job. They know what pressure to keep while washing. Doing it wrong may lead to destroying the wood.
Let it dry for at least 24 hours and see the results. If satisfied, you can start staining the dock. Otherwise, repeat the same dock cleaning process all over again.
Stain the Dock
Staining the dock is similar to staining the deck. The major difference is choosing the right stain for the job. Just like an eco-friendly dock cleaner, there are eco-friendly wood stains available. Choose the one that's best for marine life.
You may also contact a professional team to do the job. We at Precision Staining LLC understand how busy your life could be and tend to give a service that will protect the dock from every harmful element and give it a beautiful new look.
For more details, contact us at 407-222-4058
FAQs
Can I pressure wash the dock myself?
Yes, you may clean the dock yourself. However, hiring an expert will reduce time, effort, and risk of damaging the wood. So we recommend hiring professionals for the job.
What is the difference between soft washing and pressure washing?
In soft washing, we use mild pressure with some chemicals, while in pressure washing, we primarily focus on cleaning with pressure water, no chemicals included.
Do I need to stain the dock after cleaning it?
It's better to stain the dock after cleaning it. That will make sure that wood is well-protected and gets a fresh appearance.