Before and After: Deck Restoration in Berea, Ohio

A neglected deck is one of the most dramatic transformations pressure washing can achieve — and this Berea job is a great example of what professional deck cleaning looks like before and after.

The Situation

A Berea homeowner with a 15-year-old pressure-treated pine deck called us in late April. The deck had developed significant gray weathering on the surface boards, heavy green algae coverage on the north-facing railing sections, and black mold spotting in the shaded area beneath an overhead structure. The homeowner was planning to stain the deck later in the summer and wanted it professionally cleaned as preparation.

Our Approach

We applied a wood-safe algae and mold pre-treatment to the worst-affected railing sections and shaded area and let it dwell for 15 minutes. We then used a medium-pressure wash at approximately 1,500 PSI with a 25-degree tip — appropriate for aged pressure-treated pine without risking grain raising. We worked with the grain direction across each board, maintained consistent distance from the surface, and paid extra attention to the gaps between boards where dirt accumulates. The railing balusters and post bases were detail-cleaned with a lower-pressure rotating tip.

The Results

The deck boards went from dark gray-green to a warm natural wood tone. The algae on the railings was completely eliminated. The mold spotting in the shaded area was reduced by about 90% — some deep staining remained but was significantly lightened. The homeowner was thrilled and said the deck looked better than it had in years. The clean surface was ready for staining within 48 hours after drying.

What This Costs

This Berea deck job was priced at $180 for a 400-square-foot deck with moderate-to-heavy soiling and railing cleaning included. Most Berea decks fall in the $100–$220 range.