Good ole fashioned Before & After. That is what this post is all about.
The scene of the crime…our deck.
We have a deck. I hate it.
I don’t like going onto it…a little because I have a fear of heights (it’s up a story). a little because I feel stuck on it (no stairs going down to the ground level outside). and a little because it is NASTY. So I avoid it like the plague. Like the plague and the flu and politicians in general. and telemarketers. and cream soda. (yes, I know it is strange but I do not like cream soda…at all.) Anyhoo…so wanna see the monstrosity of the grossness that is our deck and how we pressure washed the sucker? well…ok.
Looking bleak. and gray. and NASTY. Pressure washing is one of my favorite things to do…renovation-wise. It is sooo immediately gratifying. Like painting except wetter.
It took me two days to finish. Then it took Jeremy another day to do the outside of the railings.
I think the following photos speak volumes about the nastiness factor…
that’s when it was still wet.
and when it dried, it looked even drastic-er. drastic-y-er. more drastic. yeah I was homeschooled.
why hello Nasty…my name is Katie Bower. Nice to BLOW YOU AWAY WITH MY HIGH PRESSURED WATER HOSE!
And now for the beautimous afters:
Yup. Like a brand-new deck. It makes me hate it a little less. a little.
Let’s look at sidebysides…shall we?
So have you pressure washed anything lately?
Soooo jealous of your working pressure washer. At our old house I tried to pressure wash the deck (which was so caked with crap that it was dangerous–if it was even a little wet it was like a sheet of ice) but couldn’t get any more pressure than would come from a regular hose. I had to do the whole thing with a scrub brush, but it was so much better afterward. My current deck is actually fairly new so no pressure washing needed, but it’s about 3′ square if that. Spending time on it is less than pleasant.
Hi Jessica,
Actually we don’t own a pressure washer…we borrowed it from my dad. THANK GOODNESS. But did you know that you can rent them at most home improvement stores? Yeah…it might cost you $40 but no more scrub brush my friend 🙂
xo – kb
Looks awesome! btw I cannot stand cream soda either! Eh!
All you did was pressure wash that deck?!? That’s Amazing! Wow. I can’t believe that! Do you go out there now? 😉
Please say you sealed the deck with a water sealer after pressure washing?…with winter coming a lot of your beautiful work could be ruined come spring. A few years back let my house sit while living abroad for 2 years and upon coming back several boards on the deck were ruined because water warped and split them. Good luck!
We coughed up the $$ and bought a machine so we could pressure wash our house. The last time we paid someone to do it – a ridiculous $275 which is the going rate around here – and then they refused to include the garage because it was a “separate structure.” GRRRR. Much more satisfying to do it ourselves!
A good water pressure hose is a valuable investment….one of the many lessons learned from my father, especially after years of power-washing decks.
There is something to be said though, about doing what you did and seeing the freshly powerwashed deck vs. the dirt and grime and nastiness that builds up on it.
Also, a word of warning: make sure that you’re not positioning the nozzle of the hose too close to the deck, or that dirt and grime will be mixed with wood that you’re stripping away. I think we would go about 6 inches from the deck, and like you 2 did, just go slow and steady.
The deck looks great, Katie!
I think I’d be a little weirded out by the height/lack of stairs to the ground, too. Maybe you could add stairs? (Not like you need ANOTHER project, I’m sure.)
I want to do this to our deck sooooo bad. But I don’t want to do it again in a few years so I never do it in the first place. Yeah, my logic is so sound. Did you guys seal it with anything after you pressure washed?
Katie, that looks AWESOME! It looks like a brand new deck! Do you think y’all will ever add stairs?
Wow, that looks terrific! I wish I had something to pressure wash …. and I h*a*t*e cream soda too!!! It’s so nasty! 🙂
I just wanted to chime in and say I love the before and afters!
And the post title has the song by Queen stuck in my head.
What a difference! You’re a pressure-washing word-maker-uppiting master! We need to pressure wash our dirty stucco exteriors. Probably paint them too. How much do you charge?
We pressure-washed our driveway and front walk last spring and it looks amazing! We inherited the pressure washer when our neighbors moved west and now we most regularly use it for washing cars.
Looks great! Awesome change!!
It is amazing what a little water can do! Please stain that baby to help preserve your hard work and preserve the wood!
Hi Lindsey,
We’ve owned the home for almost four years now and when we bought it, it already had warped and split boards…so we figure that there is no point in spending the moolah on something already ruined 🙂
xo – kb
I don’t think we would add stairs Cait…here’s why:
1. it would affect our insurance policy having an additional exit/entrance to the home. $
2. it would require a brand new everything…so new stairs means new deck. Not that I oppose that idea. $$
3. it would mean reworking of our security system so that this would have motion sensors and a beefier door. $$$
All in all, it would be great to have but I don’t think that it would add the best value to the home for the money. Plus, our backyard is crap so what’s the point?
xo – kb
Hi Kelli –
Nope we didn’t seal it. The deck is not in great shape. A lot of the boards are warped, cracked or have damage from carpenter ants…so it kinda wouldn’t be worth the effort.
Although, if I had a deck I actually liked, I would definitely seal it after pressurewashing.
xo – k to the b
No Erica…honestly I don’t. Unless we redid the entire thing, steps don’t make a lot of financial sense right now. And it’s crazy to build steps to a yard that is as treacherous as ours 🙂
xo – kb
heehee Mike…you can’t afford me 🙂
xo – kb
I’ve always loved pressure washing. My dad would send me out with the task of cleaning the outside of the house (gently, of course) and I’d spend hours out there cleaning gutters, scrubbing sidewalks and blasting the entire driveway clean. I’m sure he thought I was nuts, but I had fun. Now I have to fight my husband for turns with it. He’s just as much of a pressure washing nut as I am! It’s just so gratifying to go from blech to beautiful with a few swipes of the wand. It’s like magic, but messier.
Your deck looks great, I hope you enjoy it more now!
That’s amazing! Seriously.
And I have cream soda too.
Oops. That was supposed to say I hate cream soda too.
Whoa. I just hope you burned that rug! 🙂
Whoa! What a huge difference!! Looks great!
woooweeee! looks great!
It’s kind of ridiculous how much I love pressure washers. I don’t own one, but MAN I wish I could just go around the entire outside of our house (and maybe the roof too!) power washing everything. Unfortunately, I think our stucco is a little too delicate for that (grrr – stupid prior owners), so I am doomed to SWEEP THE SIDES OF MY HOUSE WITH A BROOM to clean it. Gah!
Yes, I may be crazy. Whatever. At least I’ve never gone over to sweep the outside of my next door neighbor’s house. I’ve thought about it though. heh.
Your deck looks awesome now, by the way. 🙂
I LOVE pressure washing! It makes everything look so shiny and new! And, you deck, of course, looks amazing — what a difference.
I’ve never pressure-washed anything, but this post kind of makes me want to try! But alas – nothing wood around the house. Maybe I’ll pressure wash our siding…once all the snow melts.
Your quote made my day. I know this isn’t about pressure washing (although the b&a’s are great!)…but I used to sit and watch all 8 hours of Anne of Green Gables (and of Avonlea) with my mom and sisters during every snowstorm.
that’s fantastic! I have a little deck envy right now!
my friends have a little boy a bit older than Will and his favourite thing is to go out on the deck and play – might have to avoid introducing Will to the idea until after winter, but it’s a fabulous play space for boys who love to be outside yet stay safe cos they can’t get too far!
I have a special place in my heart for pressure washers. I, too, love the instant gratification of the new clean look it provides. I recently also found out I love the leaf blower as well – very similar in terms of the instant gratification of a leafless yard without the hassle of raking! 🙂 Your deck looks so much better! Kudos to you! ~Iris~
That makes total sense. I have a mental list of things that “would be nice one day if I ever fall in a big pile of money, but otherwise are not likely”.
xo
c
PS- I laughed out loud at “Plus, our backyard is crap so what’s the point?” I recently referred to our backyard as “a dog toilet”, if that makes you feel any better.
I’ve never had the pleasure of the pressure.
I’m hoping to do it one day on our equally nasty concrete paths.
I had to power wash my front porch over the summer to get it ready for a fresh coat of black-and-white-checkerboard-painted sexiness.
On an unrelated (but still incredibly important!) note, I also hate cream soda. That stuff is nasty. Nasty like your deck used to be.
The Deck looks great. But, you hate cream soda? My heart just broke a little.
I know, and I probably should have gone that way. But at the time I was just thinking “I’m out here, I’m just going to get this done.” I’ve learned to seize the moment if I actually feel like cleaning!
Also, I gave you a blog award today!
It is drastic-er! 😉 It’s amazing what a little elbow grease can do! Way to go tackling such a project in icky weather! I think you’re right to hold off on sealing it. In the spring you could replace some boards and, dare I say, painting it so everything matches. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and all the natural wood decks end up looking dirty all the time. A white deck would look cleaner all year round.
Oh and I thought I was the only one that remembers that old Meegan Follows, public tv, mini-series. I’m assuming that’s what you’re thinking of…unless you actually read the book in homeschool! You were probably a Sound of Music kid as well?
That’s amazing.
You better believe that it felt good to toss it over the side of the deck Lauren 🙂 It was so nasty….so so so.
xo – kb
The deck looks awesome – and I don’t think you’re weird about cream soda. I think it’s gross, too.