The craze began about the time QVC started selling pressure washers for $150. The hosts made it look so easy to pressure wash a deck. Unfortunately, things on TV are rarely as they are seen. Many well meaning homeowners have gouged, shred and damaged the wood on their decks by utilizing improper technique to pressure wash a deck. When using a machine to clean wood, here are some tips.
• A wood deck should not be hit with high pressure. The best way to lower a power washer’s operating pressure is by using the right size nozzle with the widest fan possible. Always use the white colored tip that came with your machine. Keep the spray at least 12” from the deck’s surface.
• Good quality deck cleaners will do the majority of the work allowing you to use lower pressure to clean the wood.
Other pressure washing tips include starting from one end of a deck board and moving smoothly with the grain to the other end. This will prevent lap marks that can show up when you stain. If you take your time and utilize the proper safety precautions when using your pressure washer, you can use these tips to make deck cleaning a more pleasant task.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
The Basics of Deck Cleaning
Deck cleaning or wood restoration is probably the most misunderstood service when it comes to pressure washing. There is a lot more to restoring wood than just blasting away at it and then resealing it. The number one reason a sealer fails is because the wood wasn’t prepped properly. First of all you must understand, wood is soft and can be easily damaged with too much water pressure so it is necessary to back down the pressure and achieve the results with the proper chemical.
A lot of factors determine what cleaner to use to restore the wood. If the deck is grayed out from the sun a good deck cleaner should work well. If the wood has been sealed before, then a stripper should be used to remove all the remnants of the failing sealer. Once this has been determined, the chemical can be applied to the wood and the deck can be washed with the right amount of pressure.
Once the wood is properly cleaned or stripped it then has to be neutralized, this is achieved by applying a special acid to the wood. This process will neutralize the caustic cleaners that were used, and brighten the wood again. Then deck is then allowed to dry out for a couple days before being resealing. It may be best suited to call a professional power washing contractor that offers deck cleaning. If so, be sure to ask the contractor the right questions to determine is knowledge of wood restoration and to be sure he is going to do the job right.
A lot of factors determine what cleaner to use to restore the wood. If the deck is grayed out from the sun a good deck cleaner should work well. If the wood has been sealed before, then a stripper should be used to remove all the remnants of the failing sealer. Once this has been determined, the chemical can be applied to the wood and the deck can be washed with the right amount of pressure.
Once the wood is properly cleaned or stripped it then has to be neutralized, this is achieved by applying a special acid to the wood. This process will neutralize the caustic cleaners that were used, and brighten the wood again. Then deck is then allowed to dry out for a couple days before being resealing. It may be best suited to call a professional power washing contractor that offers deck cleaning. If so, be sure to ask the contractor the right questions to determine is knowledge of wood restoration and to be sure he is going to do the job right.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
How To Rate Replacement Windows
Replacement Windows, How Do You Rate Them?
I have been answering the same question over and over again on Home Improvement web-sites, which window is the best. Most window buyers have no idea how to rate a window company.
Rating windows is not as easy as saying one is better than the other one. Consider these things when rating windows:
Looks - which window looks the best to you the owner. Does the window look good viewed from both the inside and the outside?
Function - does the window meet your needs? Do you want the sashes to tilt in for easy cleaning?
Options - does the window company offer the options that you need? How about colors, windows are now sold in several different color both on the inside and the outside. Window screen are now available with several different options.
Maintenance - do you want a window that is easy to clean and does not require any painting or staining?
Warranty - how long is the warranty that they offer? Will the company be around to honor the warranty? Does the warranty cover labor? Is the warranty pro-rated? Do you have to buy replacement parts at an inflated price?
NFRC Ratings - Do you care about how good the glass is? Do you understand the benefits of triple pane glass? Do you know the differences between the different spacers? Do you know about Argon gas or Kyrpton Gas?
Customer Service - will the company handle your window issues in a timely manner. If one of your sashes (glass) breaks how long will it take to get you a new one.
You should check the BBB reports, and several of the other on-line complaint databases to get a feel for what people are saying about a company.
I have been answering the same question over and over again on Home Improvement web-sites, which window is the best. Most window buyers have no idea how to rate a window company.
Rating windows is not as easy as saying one is better than the other one. Consider these things when rating windows:
Looks - which window looks the best to you the owner. Does the window look good viewed from both the inside and the outside?
Function - does the window meet your needs? Do you want the sashes to tilt in for easy cleaning?
Options - does the window company offer the options that you need? How about colors, windows are now sold in several different color both on the inside and the outside. Window screen are now available with several different options.
Maintenance - do you want a window that is easy to clean and does not require any painting or staining?
Warranty - how long is the warranty that they offer? Will the company be around to honor the warranty? Does the warranty cover labor? Is the warranty pro-rated? Do you have to buy replacement parts at an inflated price?
NFRC Ratings - Do you care about how good the glass is? Do you understand the benefits of triple pane glass? Do you know the differences between the different spacers? Do you know about Argon gas or Kyrpton Gas?
Customer Service - will the company handle your window issues in a timely manner. If one of your sashes (glass) breaks how long will it take to get you a new one.
You should check the BBB reports, and several of the other on-line complaint databases to get a feel for what people are saying about a company.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Make Ugly Floors Beautiful
Start your decorating in the most obvious place, the floor. Most people seem to overlook the benefits of adding decorations to their floor. Mainly because they see flooring as a fixed item and until it gets worn-out, it basically keeps the same look for years.
It is true that flooring is not easily replaced and can cost thousands of dollars. That is why adding decorations or eye candy to your floor is such a great idea. Adding color coordinated flooring accessories will accent a room and won't get outdated for as long as the flooring stays in tact.
A perfect accessory to use that will add value and give an enchanting appeal to any room is decorative floor registers. They are called many things; floor registers, grates, air vents, grilles and so forth. But regardless of what you call them, they are built to serve the same purpose and add beauty.
Floor registers are available in hundreds of size and color combinations and can be matched to any type of flooring product and room scheme. The main consideration for proper selection is identifying the fixed items of the room where they are to be placed.
You should not try to get one style or finish and make it work for every room. Although some styles and finishes are very universal, the way to accent a room is to get a style and finish that matches the scheme of that room.
Another thing to consider is the type of flooring that is installed in each room. Rooms with carpeting will use a different floor register that a room that has wood floors such as typical dining room and kitchen areas. By choosing a decorative register to match that specific type of flooring, you will achieve the best overall look for the room.
If you have hardwood flooring in certain room of your home that have been stained with an unknown color, simply get an unfinished floor register and have someone match a stain to your floor. This is the best solution and will ensure that the register matches perfectly.
Now for matching other items in the room like cabinets, shelving and wall paper. This is a simple process if you have flooring that is either a neutral color or has been matched to the other items in the room. All you have to do is pick a matching color register with a style that goes with the scheme of the room.
For rooms that have mixed-matched items, things can be a little more complicated. The best thing to do is to decide which item you would replace with a different color at some time in the future. This way, the floor vents will compliment the fixed item with the longest expected life span. You want to have great looks, but without throwing money in the trash.
Make sure you take the scheme of the room into consideration as well. If the room has a Victorian look, get decorative floor registers that match that era. There are literally hundreds of different styles, types and colors to choose from, so there is no excuse for installing a generic register.
Also remember to buy the matching ceiling and wall grilles to blend with the rooms new look. It is not always necessary to match a ceiling grille to the floor registers. An example of this would be if you have mahogany hardwood flooring and slick finished ceilings coated with white paint. A mahogany ceiling grille would look extremely out of place.
Best practice is to use your own judgment and do not get overboard with trying to accomplish a unique look. In most cases, a straight forward design with blended accessories will give the most practical look that you and the rest of your family can live with for years to come.
It is true that flooring is not easily replaced and can cost thousands of dollars. That is why adding decorations or eye candy to your floor is such a great idea. Adding color coordinated flooring accessories will accent a room and won't get outdated for as long as the flooring stays in tact.
A perfect accessory to use that will add value and give an enchanting appeal to any room is decorative floor registers. They are called many things; floor registers, grates, air vents, grilles and so forth. But regardless of what you call them, they are built to serve the same purpose and add beauty.
Floor registers are available in hundreds of size and color combinations and can be matched to any type of flooring product and room scheme. The main consideration for proper selection is identifying the fixed items of the room where they are to be placed.
You should not try to get one style or finish and make it work for every room. Although some styles and finishes are very universal, the way to accent a room is to get a style and finish that matches the scheme of that room.
Another thing to consider is the type of flooring that is installed in each room. Rooms with carpeting will use a different floor register that a room that has wood floors such as typical dining room and kitchen areas. By choosing a decorative register to match that specific type of flooring, you will achieve the best overall look for the room.
If you have hardwood flooring in certain room of your home that have been stained with an unknown color, simply get an unfinished floor register and have someone match a stain to your floor. This is the best solution and will ensure that the register matches perfectly.
Now for matching other items in the room like cabinets, shelving and wall paper. This is a simple process if you have flooring that is either a neutral color or has been matched to the other items in the room. All you have to do is pick a matching color register with a style that goes with the scheme of the room.
For rooms that have mixed-matched items, things can be a little more complicated. The best thing to do is to decide which item you would replace with a different color at some time in the future. This way, the floor vents will compliment the fixed item with the longest expected life span. You want to have great looks, but without throwing money in the trash.
Make sure you take the scheme of the room into consideration as well. If the room has a Victorian look, get decorative floor registers that match that era. There are literally hundreds of different styles, types and colors to choose from, so there is no excuse for installing a generic register.
Also remember to buy the matching ceiling and wall grilles to blend with the rooms new look. It is not always necessary to match a ceiling grille to the floor registers. An example of this would be if you have mahogany hardwood flooring and slick finished ceilings coated with white paint. A mahogany ceiling grille would look extremely out of place.
Best practice is to use your own judgment and do not get overboard with trying to accomplish a unique look. In most cases, a straight forward design with blended accessories will give the most practical look that you and the rest of your family can live with for years to come.
Floor Register Store Now Online
After many months of planning, our Decorative Vents and Floor Registers Store is now online. We will be adding new products on a regular basis and will keep increasing our selection of online products until all floor registers and vents from the Decor Grates collection are available.
For those who don't know who we are, we're a subsidiary of Floors To Go, Your Hometown Flooring Store. Floors To Go created the Decorative Vents online store to specialize in decorative floor registers, vents and grilles.
Buying products at decorativevents.com is very secure and customer service is provided by the Floors To Go Team, which means you get the best services available anywhere. We also have secure shopping through the Floors To Go PayPal shopping cart system.
Come visit our new store and see the difference we can make in convenient online shopping.
For those who don't know who we are, we're a subsidiary of Floors To Go, Your Hometown Flooring Store. Floors To Go created the Decorative Vents online store to specialize in decorative floor registers, vents and grilles.
Buying products at decorativevents.com is very secure and customer service is provided by the Floors To Go Team, which means you get the best services available anywhere. We also have secure shopping through the Floors To Go PayPal shopping cart system.
Come visit our new store and see the difference we can make in convenient online shopping.
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