Hired a local guy to refinish my deck and he pressure washed the paint right off

I paid a contractor named Mike $600 to refinish my deck off Dale Road, and three weeks later the stain was peeling like crazy. Turns out he used a pressure washer way too hot and blasted the wood fibers loose. Has anyone else had a contractor mess up a project by being too aggressive with power tools?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyattmitchell7d ago

Mike on Dale Road, huh. $600 for a deck refinish sounds about right for the area, but that pressure washer trick is a rookie mistake I've seen more times than I can count. In my experience, a lot of handymen and even some "pros" think more power equals better results, but they don't understand that wood has a grain and a top layer that can get stripped away if you're not careful. Your mileage may vary, but I've personally watched guys blast the hell out of a porch or fence with a pressure washer on full tilt, only to leave it looking fuzzy and rough. Take this with a grain of salt, but I think it's part of a bigger pattern where people think a power tool can fix everything, but they skip learning the basics about the material they're working with. Sucks that you're out the money and the deck now, but at least you know what to watch for next time.

blair_lewis857d ago

Oh man @wyattmitchell, I gotta gently push back on the $600 being fair for a deck refinish around here. I know a couple guys who do solid work for closer to $400-450, and they actually know their wood. You're totally right about the pressure washer thing though - I've seen dudes crank it to max and turn a deck into a splintery mess in seconds. A wide tip and keeping the nozzle moving is the real trick, not just raw power. Ever try a deck stripper before washing?