Yeiser and Muth acknowledged that when inexperienced operators get their hands on a power washer, bad things can happen. Once, for instance, Muth recalled that he was summoned to clean up behind a crew of men who had rented a power washer and drained several beers as they attempted to clean a number of decks in their neighborhood. One reveler had carved an obscenity into the wood of a deck with the power washer. It would not come out.
But when a power washer is in the hands of a pro, it can take the dusky gray color out of a dirty deck - the "sunburn," as Muth calls it.
Yeiser later demonstrated the correct way to use a power washer when he cleaned some soiled planks at the company's Catonsville headquarters. The results were impressive. Indeed, after the crew had washed the Owings Mills deck, it looked like it had new lumber.
Before the pros applied a drop of sealant, they cloaked the worksite in a ton of plastic sheeting. The plastic prevented the sealant from damaging adjoining property or vegetation. "I tell my crew plastic is cheap, but replacing siding is expensive," Yeiser said.
What type of sealant you apply to your deck is, I learned, a matter of taste, expense and environmental regulations. Most sealants do the minimal job of repelling water, Muth said. But more expensive sealants tend to hold their good looks longer, he added.
The tint of sealants ranges from light to dark. The lighter tints help keep the wood cooler and easier to walk on in bare feet, Muth said. On the other hand, he added, the darker the tint, the more protection it offers the wood against the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
These wood preservatives contain volatile organic compounds - gases that at dangerous levels can, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, damage the environment. Recently, manufacturers cut back on the amount of volatile organic compounds in deck sealants, Muth said.
After an hour or so of prep work, crew member Osmin Martinez was ready to apply sealant. He used an electric sprayer that sent a fine mist of sealant with a linseed-oil base onto the deck. In its bucket, the cedar-tinted sealant looked like orange juice. But on the wood, it had a much lighter hue, closer to honey.
One of the fine points of applying sealant, Muth said, is using a nozzle that sends out a small particles of spray. If you use a paint roller, the sealant goes on in a heavier dose and doesn't penetrate as deeply into the wood, he said. The roller also misses the sides of the floorboards, he added.
