Is your Deck fuzzy after power washing? Here’s how you fix it…

April 25, 2023
Pressure Washing | By Jason Rowe
Deck fuzzy after power washing

If your deck is fuzzy after power washing, relax, you did nothing wrong…

And it’s easy to fix…

You see, when your deck gets blasted day in and day out from the weather, it will turn grey or could even start to turn green.

At this point, the surface of your deck is starting to become damaged.

When this happens, the best way to fix it is to pressure clean it and remove any grey or green buildup.

But here’s the catch. When you pressure wash a deck that has been weathered for years, the pressure washer will remove the surface of your deck and leave these little raised fibres.

Your deck could look furry with a white fuzzy appearance.

Deck fuzzy after power washing

This is commonly referred to as a fuzzy deck.

The fuzzy appearance can still happen with a newer deck but usually to a lesser extent.

When this occurs, you’ll usually see a lot of lap marks from where you stopped and changed directions with the pressure washer.

Lap marks are another form of deck damage from power washing, but this is also easy to fix…

There is a proper technique to pressure washing a deck but you can still get the fuzzy appearance and lap marks.

Either way, don’t panic.

Both the fuzzy appearance and the lap marks are normal and can be easily fixed

How to fix a fuzzy deck in 2 easy steps

  1. The first step to fixing a deck that is fuzzy from pressure washing is to give it a day to dry out.
  1. Once your deck is dry, use an orbital sander with 80 grit sandpaper and give your deck a quick run over with the sander.

That’s it…

Give it a sweep or a vacuum and you’re ready for a couple of coats of deck oil or stain.

Yep, it’s really that simple. 

Sand, vacuum and the deck fuzzies are gone.

Do you have to sand a fuzzy deck or can you leave it?

If you are not coating your deck and you don’t mind that fuzzy appearance, then you can leave it.

But if you’re going to give your deck a coat of stain or oil then you’ll need to remove the fuzzies.

If you stain or oil a deck that is fuzzy, it will look terrible.

It will be rough when you walk on it and will feel like you have sand stuck to your deck. 

You can feel it and you can see it sitting on your deck. 

To make it worse, the fuzzy fibres will be a point of weakness in your protective coating and cause your deck to fade and peel sooner than it should.

Don’t skip this step…

If you leave your deck fuzzy then coat it, you’ll be stripping it back and doing it again within 12 months.

Get it done right and your fuzzy deck won’t be a problem

This is something you can definitely do yourself. 

If you have the confidence and skill to do it, then don’t hesitate.

There are certain techniques you need to know and follow but it’s not rocket science.

But if it’s a little more involved than you thought and want it done properly, then I might be able to help you out.

If you live outside of Melbourne, Australia then you should check out my other deck restoration guides to discover how to do your deck restoration properly.

But if you live in Melbourne and want a professional to take care of your deck restoration, you should give me a call or send me an email.

My number is 0466183548

Or you can email me at [email protected]

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Jason – The Deck Fuzzy Eliminator

Need some Expert Advice?

I’ve got 10 years of deck knowledge crammed into my noggin. I can pretty much guarantee I’ve got an answer to your problem just rattling around in there…

How do you remove wood fuzzies from a deck?

The best way to remove wood fuzzies from a deck is by lightly sanding the deck with an orbital sander and 80 grit sand paper.

Can you stain over wood fuzzies?

You can’t stain over wood fuzzies. If you do, it will look and feel Ike you have sand stuck to your decking boards.

Do you need to sand a deck after power washing?

If you are power washing to remove the surface of your decking, then yes, you’ll need to sand your deck after power washing. If you are power washing just to clean your deck, then no you won’t need to sand.

Is it safe to power wash a wood deck?

As long as you use a pressure nozzle no greater than 25 degrees, it will be safe to power wash a wood deck.

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Deck Fuzzy After Power Washing
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Deck Fuzzy After Power Washing
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Is your deck fuzzy after power washing? Relax, you did nothing wrong, it’s all part of the deck restoration process. The great news is, it’s easy to fix.
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