Help!! 100% bleach cleaner applied to new deck

[dereka1 14]

Hi there - I have a new wood deck that I'm planning on staining. As a first step, I just hired some workers today that didn't speak much English to clean my deck with Clorox bleach outdoor cleaner (contains sodium hydroxide). I told them in Spanglish to mix with 90% water, but when the were finished I noticed that they didn't mix it, but applied 100% bleach directly to the wood (new construction, has never been stained). Needless to say it's quite light.

My question is, what are the repercussions of this? Is there any way to correct any damage that may have been done? I've read about neutralizing the wood, but unsure what that means, or if I can apply it the day after.

The wood is pressure treated pine. Has been 5 months since it was constructed.

I'm going to stain with oil-based stain, just slightly darker than the original wood.

Any thoughts/help appreciated!!

[Pat Norman 18]

Wow! Bleach like that is harmful to wood. Softens and eats the lignen. Also if it had sodium hydroxide in it that will darken the wood. First rinse it very thoroughly and I would apply oxalic acid to it to neutralize the s hydroxide. After about a 30 minute dwell, rinse very thoroughly again and let dry.

[RPetry 564]

... I just hired some workers today that didn't speak much English to clean my deck with Clorox bleach outdoor cleaner (contains sodium hydroxide). ...

Derek,

Clorox contains very little sodium hydroxide. Its only used as a pH adjuster and stabilizer. The problem is that Clorox contains a fair concentration of sodium hypochlorite, most commonly known as bleach. This is probably around 6% concentration if not diluted with water.

We generally dilute sodium hypochlorite down to ~ 1.5%, and rarely over 2%, when cleaning exterior wood. Try tossing an old, colored T shirt into straight Clorox and allowing to dry. This is what you have done to your wood, bleached it!

Pat's suggestion of multiple rinsing cycles with plenty of water is sound. Apparently, bisulfite or metabisulfite, thiosulfite, or peroxide will neutralize bleach, but I do not know the practicality of using those chemicals and the effectiveness on wood.

You may want to forgo staining this year and just let the wood weather over the Georgia winter. Time and precipitation should help in flushing out the bleach from the wood. Clean properly and stain next year.

Edited October 8, 2011 by RPetry
stupid filter thinks t shirt is a bad word!

[Douglas Hicks 128]

Well, I am about to upset everyone, but what did you save by not hireing a licensed, bonded, insured deck guy w/experience?

[RPetry 564]

Well, I am about to upset everyone, but what did you save by not hireing a licensed, bonded, insured deck guy w/experience?

Doug,

State licensed, W/C and liability insured is standard and needed. Who needs bonding when stripping/cleaning and staining exterior wood? Silly ...

[bigchaz 157]

Never heard of a deck guy with Bonding either.

The clorox outdoor bleach (not regular clorox) actually does contain a fair amount of sodium hydroxide for cleaning purposes not just like the regular bleach. It may be worth trying a deck brighener to neutralize but I would suspect that darkening of the wood is the last of your problems. Pats suggestion to rinse rinse rinse along with letting weather again several months would be a good idea. Revisit in the spring with a professional two step deck restoration process, do some sanding to remove any dead or damaged wood fiber from the bleach cleaning and then stain

[Douglas Hicks 128]

Doug,

State licensed, W/C and liability insured is standard and needed. Who needs bonding when stripping/cleaning and staining exterior wood? Silly ...

Rick, I am properly chastised, thank you for helping me to improve myself. You have accomplished what thankyoumarko never could.

[RPetry 564]

Rick, I am properly chastised, thank you for helping me to improve myself. You have accomplished what thankyoumarko never could.

Douglas,

I stand corrected. Apparently, in California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and a few other states in order to be licensed you must have both sales tax and performance bonds.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Hi there - I have a new wood deck that I'm planning on staining. As a first step, I just hired some workers today that didn't speak much English to clean my deck with Clorox bleach outdoor cleaner (contains sodium hydroxide). I told them in Spanglish to mix with 90% water, but when the were finished I noticed that they didn't mix it, but applied 100% bleach directly to the wood (new construction, has never been stained). Needless to say it's quite light.

My question is, what are the repercussions of this? Is there any way to correct any damage that may have been done? I've read about neutralizing the wood, but unsure what that means, or if I can apply it the day after.

The wood is pressure treated pine. Has been 5 months since it was constructed.

I'm going to stain with oil-based stain, just slightly darker than the original wood.

Any thoughts/help appreciated!!

In addition to the options mentioned by others, there is one thing that remains.

Sanding.

You can rent a large orbital sander to sand the deck to remove the damaged wood fibers which as a result of the heavy bleaching, will have a shorter life span and be degraded.

This will help ensure you get the best results out of the new stain you apply and help to minimize the future damage that is deeper within the wood.

Rod!~

[RPetry 564]

Rick, I am properly chastised, thank you for helping me to improve myself. You have accomplished what thankyoumarko never could.

Douglas,

For a "Forum Leader", you have little to contribute. This is a wood thread, not a fire thread.

Never mind, better to let it be.

[JimFergerson 14]

Although the OP is long gone now...

I would suggest hiring someone that speaks fluent English to sand the deck.

(unless you can get someone to do that job cheaper, also)

Just saying