Why Not to Use Chlorine Bleach Outdoors

We firmly believe that we have a responsibility to protect our clients’ properties by using appropriate non-toxic cleaners for the job. It is our desire to leave the property looking beautiful and protected for years to come. We take great care not to damage the landscaping or any structure.

Renew Crew uses environmentally friendly cleaning products to clean siding, decks, concrete, pavers, etc. We are often asked what we use, we unfortunately, won’t tell you as it is proprietary – no offense. We do not use chlorine bleach as many of our competitors unwittingly do.

Why should you care if chlorine bleach is used on your wood deck? Chlorine bleach works well to kills germs, however, it is destructive to wood. Chlorine bleach destroys wood lignin (the woods’ fiber), is drying and removes woods’ natural colors. Additionally, chlorine bleach can corrode hardware and will destroy and kill vegetation.

 

Our proprietary foam (left) is very effective yet gentle.  It brings the dirt and grime to the surface without damaging the wood fibers or bleaching the         wood.  As an added bonus the cleaner does most of the work allowing us to use low pressure to rinse off the dirt and grime.  Following some drying           time, we can seal the deck with our Natural, Cedar or Brown protectant.  This last step will keep your deck looking great for years to come.

New Wood?

It is a common misconception that you cannot stain or seal a new wood deck, fence, pergola or even outdoor furniture for 6 months to a year. When we had our new deck built, our contractor told us just that – to wait a year before we sealed it.  We learned the hard way that this was not the right advice.  Our deck boards warped, cracked, peeled, splintered and even became soft in some areas.  We had essentially taken years off of the lifespan of our new wood deck.  To avoid our mistake, we highly recommend that you clean, seal & protect your new deck and fence.  It will save you lots of money and time in the long run.

Most wood used in the construction of wood structures is pressure treated (green), cedar, or kiln dried.  All are great to prevent rot and insect damage.  With pressure treated lumber, it comes from the mill with a certain degree of water repellency as it has been dipped and treated.  Once the wood is installed, if you put water on the deck it will more than likely bead up.  Cedar or kiln dried lumber will do the same as they have a condition called mill glaze.  Because the wood is repelling water, many recommend letting the structure sit for 6 months to a year and tell you that if you seal or stain it, it won’t take the sealer.  This is true if you do not clean it first.  In fact, mill glaze if left on the wood and exposed to sunlight will actually get worse as the mill glaze further hardens.  You need to use a chemical cleaner (we use environmentally friendly cleaners) to remove the mill glaze and the film on pressure treated lumber as soon as possible as within 2 weeks, wood will begin to grey and damage from the elements will start. Many of our Renew Crew clients have reluctantly (at first) asked us if we could do anything with their new deck, fence, etc.  They thought they also had to wait and that we, Renew Crew Richmond did not provide any service for new wood decks or wood structures.  We absolutely can and do clean and seal all types of new wood decks, pergolas, fences and even furniture.  We highly recommend sealing your wood structures as soon as the project is finished.  Protecting your wood deck immediately will preserve its natural beauty, prevent the wood from splitting, warping and most importantly rot due to moisture penetration, mold and mildew.

Brand New Deck following our 3-Step process. We applied our Renew Crew Natural Protectant. You can expect this look to last for 2 years or so. The UV protectant that is in our stain will prevent graying from occurring.

Give us a call today at (804) 561-6777 or if you have questions feel free to email us a southjames@renewcrewclean.com. We can recommend a preventative maintenance plan to protect your new deck or fence that will keep it looking as good as new for years to come.