White film after efc38/citralic

[gt2003 18]

What is this white film on my deck? Yesterday I cleaned with efc38 then brightened with citralic. Is this residue from that? If so, how should I remove it (other than that it looks great!)? I've got a stiff deck broom so I could wet it down then scrub it real well. Any ideas are appreciated. Thanks, Greg

[bigchaz 157]

On the first photo it could be result of needing more rinsing. Is the whitish haze fuzzy at all? Could also be loose wood fibers from cleaning. Or even still it looks similar to new wood thats started to age and isn't fully clean

...As for the second photo, Greg I hate to break it to you but that wood needs a lot more work

[Bryan C 14]

I am assuming that second picture is the "before"?

[gt2003 18]

The haze isn't fuzzy at all. It just kind of looks like a really light film on the deck. I actually got a small section wet and scrubbed it with a deck brush but it's too dark outside to see if it made a difference.

I don't know what happened to the second picture. Maybe lighting, maybe the photographer. That wood actually looks very similar to the wood in picture 1 in real life. Picture 2 is the upper section of the deck that was previously stained. I will take more pics tomorrow to see if I can get some that show the upper part a little better.

Please check back in on me and give me some feedback of tomorrows pictures. If I have to, I'll re-do the upper section or sand the fire out of it until it is in better shape.

I know it's not the best option, but could I run to the dreaded Lowes and pick up a couple of gallons of deck stripper and brightener to get me through this project? They have a cabots and Zinsser brand of these products. Any advice on which would be best?

Thanks again, Greg

Edited July 22, 2008 by gt2003

[Cajun Cleanin 64]

I don't think you cleaned it.Either low strength chems or not enough dwell time.Try it again.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Too hard to tell for sure, the pics aren't high enough resolution.

Two things, could be either residue from the chems or just dead wood fibers.

I didn't see anything mentioned about a pressure washer but just a deck brush used as the cleaning agitator.

The first pic looks clean, the second looks like grey wood.

Got any more pics, especially from a better distance to see the overall deck?

Rod!~

[gt2003 18]

Alright, here are 3 more pics of the deck. The 1st one is the lower deck (never stained) and the next 2 are of the upper deck. They turned out OK but still don't give a great representation of what the deck really looks like. Let me know what you think. If I get the go ahead, I'm going to lightly sand in the early, early morning then begin staining. Thanks, Greg

[gt2003 18]

Ok, here are a few more with different camera settings. The sun is behind the trees so I guess these could be considered as in the shade. The others were taken in the shade too. Let me know what you think.

Hell, nevermind. I can't seem to take pictures that give you a true feeling for what the wood really looks like. I apologize for the inconvenience. You can catch a couple of glimpses of the sun shining on the deck (pic 1, right side spindles/rail plus all 3 pics on previous post). That is the color of the whole thing.

Edited July 23, 2008 by gt2003

[plainpainter 217]

That's just UV damaged/greyed wood fibers that you haven't completely removed - go back and give it another efc-38 wash.

[Scott Paul 164]

That's just UV damaged/greyed wood fibers that you haven't completely removed - go back and give it another efc-38 wash.

I agree.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Yep....rewash.

Beth

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

The last thing you would want to do is to seal it in that condition because it is like setting a stain in cloth. A real pain to get out afterwards.

Rewash it and neutralize in a methodical pattern making sure you don't miss any areas.

Keep the deck wet before you neutralize to help with the dispersion of the brightener.

Rod!~

[RPetry 564]

Greg,

Did you use a pressure washer to clean the wood? If not, you may want to buy, borrow, or rent one. Just be careful.

[James 624]

How old is the deck? You may have to buff it off. If the wood hasn't degraded enough to remove the top layer of grey mechanical means must be used.

[plainpainter 217]

Even to this day - my decks aren't completely free of the dreaded grey - there will be a board here and there stuck in the corner that for some reason didn't clean up. And Jim is right - break out the orbital sander and sand it off. It's just that it seem so pervasive in your pictures - that I would give it another wash - how strong was your efc-38 mix?

[gt2003 18]

I mixed 2lbs to about 4 1/2 gallons total.

I had to get this thing done so i actually went and bought a cabots stripper and stripped the entire thing (floors and railing) with good results (and brightened). I spent literally the entire day today staining. It looks good! I'll let it dry overnight and take some pictures tomorrow and post them. It is pretty red though, but I like it.

Should I go with the HD80 next time? Or, stick with the EFC-38 and just make sure I've got more than enough on hand to keep rewetting with the cleaner? Should I mix it differently?

Next time I will have everything together to complete the project in the spring, before its a 100 degrees like it was today. I really fought with keeping the cleaner wet. It wanted to dry out the second I sprayed it on, even at 7am. So, I would mist it down with water and I bet I just diluted it too much to do the trick.

[bigchaz 157]

Sounds like you mixed it good enough, its probably just a matter of not enough dwell time. On hot days it can be difficult. Its tricky for you because ordering too much means it just goes to waster. On my end, I keep stuff wet with more cleaner, but having a couple hundred pounds of the stuff makes it a bit easier

Next time, you shouldnt need HD80 to do the maintenance coat on the deck. Just a light cleaning...some soap and water to remove dirt, pollen, etc and you can put another light coat of stain on. Now if things get in bad shape, or the stain starts looking real rough, then yea go ahead and strip it before doing another coat of stain

[gt2003 18]

Thanks Charlie. I'll post pics on my deck restoration journal as well as a couple in the Armstrong-Clark thread. Let me know what you think. I'll try to get some good pics that show good detail.