Deck, Fence and House Cleaning in Loyal

Loyal is a Clark County city about 16 miles northwest of our Marshfield shop. The name looks back to the 1860s and the many settlers here who went off to fight in the Civil War. The site had a store by 1870, was platted in 1885, and became a village in 1893 and a city in 1948.

A town of established homes

Loyal is a settled city where most people own their homes. About three in four homes are single-family houses, about the same share are lived in by their owners, and only about 4 percent were built in 2000 or later. About four in ten date from before 1960.

Can an old wooden deck be cleaned without damaging it?

Yes, if it is done gently. Decks and fences are constantly exposed to the elements, and dirt, mildew and algae build up on them and cause the wood to deteriorate over time. Clearing that off is what slows the decay. Blasting it off with high pressure is what damages the grain.

This is how our deck and fence cleaning works:

• A detailed inspection first, to decide the right cleaning method and find any areas that need special attention.
• Eco-friendly cleaning solutions that remove stains, mildew and algae without harming the wood or the landscape around it.
• Gentle soft washing techniques, so the wood is not damaged in the process.
• Sealant, if you want it. On request, we apply a high-quality sealant to help protect the wood from future wear.

We clean wood and composite. Wooden decks and fences normally take slightly longer. A side benefit: removing slippery mildew and algae makes the steps and boards safer to walk on.

Why Loyal's weather is hard on wood

Loyal's closest weather station, about 14 miles away, averages about 36 inches of rain and melted snow a year, with about 70 days bringing a tenth of an inch or more. It also records about 44 inches of snow and about 177 nights below freezing. Decks and fences live in that weather, which is how dirt, mildew and algae build up on them.

The house can be done on the same visit, along with gutters and windows.