Evening Out the Color of Your Wood Outdoor living structures have to withstand a lot being outside in the elements all year round. It isn’t surprising that sometimes they have to be updated or parts have to be replaced. I was recently walking my dog around the neighborhood when I noticed a fence that had had some work done. The majority of the fence was a greying wood. It was probably installed several years ago. In the middle of the space, however, was a section of brand new wood boards. They were clean as can be and had obviously been replaced a short time ago. The replaced section made the rest of the fence look even worse than it was. 
New wood boards stand out when installed next to boards that have been out in the elements for years, just take a look at this deck to the left. There is a way, however, to update the old boards so they are close in color and look to the new. First, the old wood has to be thoroughly cleaned. A wood deck cleaner will loosen the dirt and grime that has built up on the wood over time. Additionally, and more importantly in the case evening out the appearance of the structure, a good deck cleaning product will loosen the dried out, greying wood fibers. Once the cleaner has worked its magic, the surface can be pressure washed. The pressure of the water will rinse away the dirt and dead wood fibers. During this step, you’ll notice the difference in the wood’s appearance. It will begin to look similar in color to the new wood boards. It helps if the new wood is also cleaned too. 
The last step is to apply a protectant to both the old wood and the new wood. At Renew Crew, our semi-transparent wood protectants and sealants allow the wood grain to show, but does add some color to the space. This picture shows the same deck as above and you can’t tell which board is new and which is old! If you need to have the color of your deck or fence evened out, please contact your local Renew Crew. June 19, 2014 · Cleaning Outdoor Surfaces, Deck Cleaning, Deck Sealing, Exterior Cleaning, Fence Cleaning, Fence Sealing, Pressure Cleaning, Pressure Washing, and Uncategorized