When it comes to building outdoor living spaces, homeowners have endless material options. There are pros and cons to all materials be it wood, concrete, rock, or composite decking. One of the growing areas in the outdoor living industry is hardscapes. Versatile in installation and look, hardscapes can complement any home and property.
While versatile and strong, pavers and hardscapes, just like any outdoor living surface, require regular maintenance to look its best. Pavers withstand the elements well, but they are also very porous when not sealed. Water, dirt and grime can settle into the surface. In cold environments that can actually cause damage to the material. Water will settle into the surface and, if it freezes, will crack and/or crumble the material. A good sealant, however, can keep those pavers looking like new for longer.
If you have existing pavers, before sealing, you want to clean them so you aren’t sealing in any of the grime. At Renew Crew, we provide eco-friendly hardscape cleaning. Applied to the surface, our product gets into the nooks and crannies, loosening any embedded dirt, grime and other materials.
Once given a chance to work its cleaning magic, our trained technicians will power wash the surface to rinse everything away. We suggest that if you have pavers on your property, to have it professionally power washed when the time comes. Because of its porous nature, when too much pressure is applied to bricks, pavers and other hardscape material, it can chip or break the material.
Sealing the product is the final step in Renew Crew’s three-step cleaning and sealing process. Whether you want a matte or shiny, wet look finish, we roll on a protective layer on top of the dried pavers. That thin later wicks away moisture, beading it on the surface and stopping it from seeping into the material. Spot cleaning (or rinsing off with the hose) will keep it looking nice throughout the season. We suggest resealing outdoor surfaces every one or two years depending on the amount of use or travel a surface gets.
If you’re in need of outdoor cleaning and sealing, please contact your local Renew Crew office.
We all have talents. Things that we do well and others where we may need assistance with. It’s when we realize the areas where we need help and ask for it that life gets a little smoother and less stressful.
I was recently talking about Renew Crew to an acquaintance of mine when he said “I wish I knew you a year ago.” When I asked why, I got the story of an expensive mistake he made. He had recently moved into a new home that was immaculately taken care of. The landscaping was pristine and the deck looked beautiful. When he met the previous owner he asked how he had maintained his wooden deck he was told that he had pressure washed it.
Fast forward a year and the deck was looking tired and dirty. Remembering what the previous owner had told him, my friend rented a pressure washer from him local home improvement store and proceeded to ruin his deck! He was too close to the wood and gouged it to the point where he had to have the entire deck painted. When I asked him why he did it, his answer was “I don’t know. I’m not a do-it-yourselfer, apparently that other guy was.”
The moral of the story is, if you don’t know how to do a job that could be costly if you mess up, don’t do it! At Renew Crew, we’re more than your typical pressure washing company. We clean and protect your decks, patios, walkways, siding, fences and more. What’s more is that we train our technicians at length how to rinse away embedded dirt and grime without causing any damage to the surface.
Renew Crew’s three-step process breathes new life into old surfaces. The first step is to apply eco-friendly cleaning solutions to the surface. And trust us, eco-friendly does not mean weak. It digs deep into the surface loosening embedded dirt and grime, but will not harm surrounding plants and trees. After the solutions has been given ample time to work, we rinse it with a light pressure wash.
The final step in our process is to protect the surface from future stains with our semi-transparent protectant. It keeps away moisture, dirt and grime.
If your outdoor surfaces don’t look great, don’t let pressure washing be your first DIY project as it can cause irreparable damage if done incorrectly. Instead, reach out to your local Renew Crew!
On a nice day, there is nothing like taking the dog and walking around a local park or hiking trails. I was recently at a local spot that my husband and I like to visit when I noticed something: how dirty some of the spaces were. Understandably summer is a busy time and it’s not uncommon for dirt and mud to be tracked along traveled paths, but I did take note. That’s when I saw this job from our pressure washing company in Victoria and it made me realize the importance of making common areas beautiful again.
Fossati Park is a beautiful spot in Victoria, Texas. With water, decks, benches and large grassy areas, it’s a great park to bring the family and enjoy some time outdoors. It, however, had seen better days this year. The park was still a great place to go, it’s just that the wood was starting to fade and splinter. Water was being absorbed by the wood, which can lead to rot and other issues.
Renew Crew to the rescue! Using our 3-step cleaning and protecting process, Charlie Boswell and the Renew Crew of Victoria team gave the decks throughout the park a facelift this year.
The first step in our process is to clean the word using our environmentally friendly wood cleaning foam. Unlike other pressure washing companies that mostly used bleach and other harsh chemicals, all of Renew Crew’s products are eco-friendly. It was very important that eco-friendly cleaning products were used on this project because of the surroundings. The city wouldn’t want anything used that could harm the trees or water that go through the property. And just because it isn’t a harsh chemical doesn’t mean it doesn’t work incredibly well. Renew Crew’s formula works wonders on wood, loosening embedded dirt and grime.
After the foam has time to work its magic, we rinse the surface with a light power pressure wash that’s strong enough to get rid of all the grime but will not gouge the wood in any way.
The last step and most important is protecting the surface. A semi-transparent wood protectant was applied to the surface, blocking water, dirt, and UV rays from affecting the wood.
With just a little TLC, Renew Crew was able to enhance this space for more families to enjoy!
Concrete is one of the most versatile materials to use outdoors. I can be used for retaining walls, walkways, driveways and more. While its versatility makes it popular, there are drawbacks. Concrete by nature is very porous. It absorbs anything that falls on the surface be it water, oil, or dirt.
Concrete, like all outdoor surfaces, should be cleaned and protected regularly. Our pressure washing company in Springfield, MO recent cleaned and protected a concrete walkway and driveway in a bright red: chili pepper red to be exact.
The stamped concrete driveway was in need of some TLC and the owners really wanted to breath new live into its color. During the cleaning process, Renew Crew used eco-friendly concrete cleaners that dig deep into the surface loosening set in stains and dirt. Special care and attention is paid to hard stains, like grease and oil, that are commonplace on driveways.
When the cleaning solutions had done their job, a pressure washer was used to rinse everything away.
Before protecting the surface it was given time to dry properly. Unfortunately it’s all too common for concrete to be simply cleaned and not sealed, and the protection is the most important part! Without a protective layer, the concrete will continue to absorb materials instead of keeping them on the surface and able to rinse away with just water.
Concrete cleaners and protectants come in a variety of colors and finishes. Some homeowners prefer a matte natural look while others like a slightly shiny wet looks to enhance the rich colors. Renew Crew can do it all. For this project, the homeowners wanted a standard color throughout and really liked our rich, chili pepper finish. The sealant was rolled on to the surface and into the stamped design throughout for an even finish.
If you’re concrete is showing its age, please reach out to one of our pressure washing locations.
Memorial Day is the beginning of summer, the best season to spend time outdoors with friends and family. As you move outdoors for the season, you may notice what the fall and winter months have done to your outdoor living space, leaving built up dirt, grime, mold and mildew. Instead of looking at dirty surfaces all summer, a professional pressure washing company like Renew Crew can help you revitalize the surfaces.
Here are just a few of the surfaces you may want to look at in your backyard before your next barbecue:
Deck and Patios. When you think outdoor surfaces, your first thoughts may go straight to decks and patios. It’s where you spend your times outdoors and because it is a horizontal space, yard debris can build up in the fall and winter months leaving dirt behind.
Fences. Fences are the walls to your outdoor living space. It’s common for mold and mildew to settle on fences and other surfaces. Additionally, mud will cake on the bottom of the deck posts and boards, especially after it rains.
Siding. Have you ever noticed that your home’s color looks a little dingy? If you haven’t had siding cleaning in a long time, your siding may be dirty.
These are just a few of the outdoor surfaces you may have in your backyard that could be cleaner for barbecue season. At Renew Crew, we pride ourselves on our eco-friendly outdoor cleaning products that leave your surfaces cleaner for longer. Our three-step process is simple:
1.) We apply an environmentally friendly cleaning solution to the surface. Whether it’s for decks, patios, siding, gutters or other surface, our effective cleaning products work their way into the surface, loosening dirt and grime.
2.) Once the product has had time to work its magic, we rinse the surface with a low pressure wash to revitalize the surface.
3.) The last step is our most important step: protection. Without protecting the surface, pressure washing companies leave the surface open for more dirt. At Renew Crew, we block the surface with a protectant that blocks moisture, dirt and grime.
If you want your backyard updated before the height of summer, please contact your local Renew Crew office.
Pavers and other hardscape materials continue to grow in popularity in the outdoor living industry. With so many shapes, sizes, colors and finishes it’s not surprising people love them. They do withstand the elements pretty well, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need periodic maintenance. At Renew Crew, we provide eco-friendly paver cleaning and sealing to keep your space looking great.
It’s not surprising that walkways, driveways and patios get dirty. Being outside all the time, they withstand a lot of elements, both natural and manmade. If they aren’t sealed, the surface can be very porous and absorb whatever falls on it. Some substances, like oil, dirt and mold simply cause staining while others can cause damage to the material. Salt and other snow melting agents can work away at pavers while rain that’s absorbed and then freezes can cause substantial cracking and crumbling. The good news is that you can protect against this with paver cleaning and sealing.
Paver sealants, like deck stains, close off the surface so that the elements sit on the surface and don’t settle into the material. It will, however, begin to wear away over time and should be reapplied throughout the lifetime of the structure.
If your pavers are looking tired and weathered you can bring them back to life with professional paver cleaning. At Renew Crew, we applied an eco-friendly cleaning product that won’t hard any surrounding grass or plants. Once the cleaning products works its magic, we rinse the surface with a pressure washer. While pressure washers can be rented from your local home improvement stores, we suggest hiring a professional when it comes to pavers. They are very susceptible to cracking and if you aren’t sure how to use the washer well, you may cause serious damage to your structure.
When the surface dries, a member of our team will return to the home and apply the protectant. Our team offers a number of finishes for you to consider including color enhancing, wet looks and natural matte finishes.
If you are in need of paver cleaning and sealing, please reach out to your local Renew Crew office.
We’re the experts in outdoor surface cleaning and sealing at Renew Crew. We take great pride in revitalizing our clients’ decks, patios, walkways, gutters, fences, siding and more. Using our eco-friendly cleaning products, we’re able to wash away most, if not all, of the dirt and grime that’s built up over time.
The last step in our process is protecting the surface we’ve just cleaned. By applying a protective layer, we stop the nasty elements we just cleaned from settling back into the wood, vinyl, stone or concrete. Without it, it wouldn’t take long for the surface to go back to the old, dirty look.
While Renew Crew’s protectant helps to keep the surface looking great, there are things you can do the same.
Remove yard debris. Whether it’s sticks or leaves or other type of natural debris, it ends up on your outdoor surfaces from time to time. While it won’t cause stains or build up dirt right away, the longer it sits, the more likely it is to leave marks, especially when wet. Whenever you’re walking your property, remove or sweep off your outdoor surfaces.
Rinse with a hose periodically. Like yard debris, dust, pollen and dirt end up on you deck, patio, walkway or driveway. It is sitting out in the elements! Taking your garden hose to it every once in a while will wash away any of the lose elements, and it will make your space look better instantly. You may not even notice what was sitting on your surface until it’s all gone!
Move and check under objects. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, it is probable that you have objects outside, be them furniture, pots or accessories. You may not even notice that those objects are leaving marks or stains on your outdoor surfaces. Flower pots are one of the most common culprits. The mixture of soil or mulch and the standing water in the saucer underneath calls for stains, but they can be addressed easily! If you see stains, take a look online to see how you can clean them (here’s our guide to cleaning flower pot stains).
If you’re surfaces need a deep clean and sealing, please contact your local Renew Crew office.
Wood is one of, if not the, most common material used for building decks. It’s easy to work with, takes stains and paints well and looks great! Wood decks and fences, however, need regular maintenance to stay looking great, here’s why:
Protectants break down. New decks and fences are usually stained or painted at the end of the build. Not only does this layer bring out the color, it also protects the surface, but normal wear and tear and being outside breaks down that protectant. It will fade or begin to chip over time, making your outdoor surface look tired and your wood susceptible to the elements.
Elements make their way in. Once the sealant or paint breaks down, the wood’s pores are left open to absorb whatever is on the surface. Dirt and dust start to settle in the cervices, not to mention anything you may spill on the wood. Moisture is a big wood foe. When water is absorbed into wood, it can cause splitting, splintering and rot.
Sunlight takes its toll. When wood is left unprotected, the sun’s harsh UV rays will takes its toll on the surface. The sun causes the bleached grey look you often seen to older fences and decks.
Even if your deck isn’t look its best, it doesn’t mean all hope is lost and you need to fully replace your outdoor structures per say. It’s amazing what some cleaning can do! At Renew Crew, we revive outdoor spaces using a cleaning, rinsing and protecting process. Using eco-friendly products that won’t harm surrounding landscaping, Renew Crew pressure washes the built up grime away while removing the dried out or dead wood particles. After the wood has had a chance to dry, we apply a sealing layer to enhance the color and protect the wood from further damage.
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If your decks, patios, fences, walkways, siding or gutters need some cleaning, please contact your local Renew Crew office.
If you’re anything like me, the number of choices you have to make at a home improvement store can overwhelm you. The decision becomes infinitely more difficult when you don’t know anything about whatever it is you’re purchasing. Who knew there were so many kinds of white paint?
We often get questions on how to pick the right deck sealant. If you’re in the market for a product like this, here are some questions to ask yourself.
Do you like the look of wood? Do you enjoy seeing the wood grain and knots? If so, a semi-transparent protectant many be a good option for you. At Renew Crew, the vast majority of our clients choose a semi-transparent wood sealing product. It does breathe color back into the wood, but you can still see the details in the wood. There are still color choices like natural, cedar and brown and a pressure washing company like Renew Crew can help you decide which is right for your home.
If you want something that covers the material more consistently, you’re in the market for a solid deck sealant. Solid protectants look more like paint and sometimes have a slight sheen to them.
Is it eco-friendly? A lot of the wood sealants and protectants perform well, but few are eco-friendly like Renew Crew’s. If you are at all concerned with the surrounding landscaping or ground, look for an eco-friendly product that won’t harm it.
What does it say it protects against? Not all wood sealants work the same way. Take a look or ask what types of things it is protecting against. Most products will repel water, moisture, dirt, dust and grime from working its way into the wood’s surface, but there are other harmful elements out there. The sun’s UV-rays can cause a lot of damage to wood, drying it out and bleaching it. Renew Crew’s deal sealing product repels against those harmful rays.
If you have questions on cleaning and sealing wood surfaces, please reach out to your local Renew Crew office. We’ll work to leave you with an outdoor space that looks great.
At Renew Crew, the majority of our clients contact us because their outdoor living spaces aren’t looking great. Their decks or fences may be greying or their patio or gutters may be stained.
A space does not have look bad to warrant a visit from Renew Crew however. Take this gazebo for instance. It doesn’t look bad at all. The color is even and it isn’t fading or chipping in any area. The owners simply didn’t like the color. It was too dark for their taste and they wanted something lighter.
Even though the wood wasn’t dirty, Renew Crew’s still needed to clean, strip and protect the surface. A stripping formula had to be used to remove the existing color as a lighter stain can’t be applied to a darker to make a difference.
After the color was removed, Renew Crew used its eco-friendly wood cleaning solution to remove any dirt or grime that had built up on the surface. A lot of the dirt would have been removed in the stripping process, but you can never be too careful!
Once the cleaning solution was able to loosen any dirt, grime or dead wood fibers, we rinsed it with a low-pressure wash. This is where hiring a professional pressure washing company is helpful. Pressure washing can easily cause damage on outdoor surfaces, sometimes leaving gouges or chips if it’s a patio, not to mention you can easily hurt yourself! Each of our trained team members knows how to get rid of all the grime safely without damaging your outdoor living spaces.
The last step is protecting the wood, which is also when the wood gets its color. Renew Crew applied a lighter, semi-transparent wood protectant to the gazebo. It was the perfect update for the homeowner to have the brighter outdoor living space she was hoping for.
If you have questions on cleaning or updating your outdoor living spaces, please reach out to your local Renew Crew office.