A fence or a deck is not a driveway. The material is different, the fibres are softer, and the way we wash it changes to match. This guide walks through why wood gets treated differently than concrete or interlock, what a fresh wash actually looks like once it is done, and the point where we would rather tell you a wash will not get you the result you are picturing. It also covers what decides the price, how we keep the rest of your yard clean while we work, and how often a fence or deck is worth washing to stay ahead of the grey, weathered look that builds up over the years.
Why decks and fences get washed, not sanded
Polymeric sanding is for interlock joints, packing sand between pavers so they lock together. A fence or a deck is solid wood, there is no joint to fill, so sanding never comes into it. What a fence or deck needs is a wash, cleaned back to the wood underneath the grime.
Wood surfaces get a lower pressure, gentler approach by default, the same soft wash treatment we use on siding. The fibres in wood are softer than concrete or stone, so a high pressure blast that a driveway can shrug off would tear up a fence or deck instead of cleaning it. Matching pressure to what the surface can actually take is the whole point, and on wood that means backing off, not pushing harder.
Where higher pressure still comes in
If your fence sits next to a concrete walkway or your deck connects to a stone patio, those harder surfaces are built to take more force and get washed accordingly. We simply do not carry that same pressure onto the wood beside it. Each surface on a property gets matched to what it can handle, which is why a single job can move between a strong wash on the pavers and a soft wash on the fence a few feet away, all in the same visit, without one surface getting shortchanged because of how the other one is treated.
What a fresh wash looks like on grey, weathered wood
Years of dirt, mildew and algae build up on a fence or deck the same way they do on any exterior surface, and a garden hose will not touch it. A soft wash lifts that buildup and brings the wood back to a cleaner, more even colour without stripping or damaging the surface underneath. It is the same before and after most homeowners are picturing when they call about a driveway, just applied at the gentler pressure wood needs.
When we will tell you a wash is not the answer
We are not in the business of overselling a wash we do not think will get the result you are picturing. If a fence or deck has gone past what a wash can fix, rotting boards, wood that has broken down rather than just dirtied, we would rather say that upfront on the visit than take the job and hand back a result nobody is happy with.
Keeping the rest of your yard out of the mess
A fence or deck usually sits close to grass, flower beds or garden borders, so we cover and protect landscaping near the work area before we start, the same as on any property with plants close by. The goal is a clean fence or deck and a yard that looks untouched around it.
What decides the price, and what happens on the day
Square footage is the starting point, the more fence line or deck surface there is, the more time and water it takes. Condition matters just as much, a fence that has had years of buildup takes longer to bring back than one that gets washed on a regular schedule. Access can move the price too, a deck tucked behind a locked gate or a fence running along a tight side yard takes more setup time than an open, easy to reach section. All of it gets accounted for on the visit, before a number is given.
We confirm the appointment the day before, so you know exactly when to expect us. On the day, we wash with the pressure and method that suits the wood, working carefully around plants, furniture or anything else near the fence or deck that should not get sprayed. Before we leave, we walk the job with you. If something is not right, we fix it then.
Staying ahead of it with a yearly wash, and getting it quoted
About once a year is the general rhythm we recommend across a property, and a fence or deck is no exception. Washing on that rhythm keeps mildew and algae from building up to the point where the wood looks grey and tired, and it is a much smaller job than letting years of buildup set in before calling. The same logic that applies to a driveway or a patio applies here: staying ahead of it with a regular wash does more for the long term look of the wood than waiting until it is bad enough to notice from the street.
Every quote is free. We come out, take a look at the wood and the surfaces around it, and quote on the spot, measured in square metres with the price fixed before we start. No pressure, and no upsell on a wash we do not think will hold up.
