Austin fence cleaning that lasts longer.

Most privacy fences around Austin are cedar, and cedar is soft. Turn a pressure washer up on it and the surface does not just clean, it erodes. The soft grain between the harder rings washes away first, leaving a furry, raised texture that never looks right again and that soaks up water faster afterwards.

So a wood fence is washed at low pressure with the cleaning solution doing the work, worked along the grain rather than against it. The goal is to lift the grey weathered layer and the mildew sitting on it while leaving the timber itself intact.

The side that always looks worst is the one facing north, or whichever side sits in shade through the day. Fences dry unevenly, and the panel that stays damp longest grows algae and mildew first. It is common for one run of a fence to look years older than the rest of it for no reason other than which way it faces.

Two things shorten a fence's life more than weather. Sprinklers that spray the boards keep the base permanently wet, which is where rot starts. And soil or mulch banked up against the bottom rail does the same thing. Both are worth fixing while the fence is clean, because a wash resets the appearance but does not stop what is causing it.

If you plan to stain or seal, clean first and let it dry properly. Sealing over mildew traps it underneath.