The Deck Dilemma: $2,000 Quotes and a $40 Surprise Win

It started, as many weekend projects do, with a simple request from my wife: “We need to refinish the deck.”

She was right. Less than two years ago, I used a water-based deck paint that promised the world. The reality? It started peeling almost immediately. It looked terrible.

I figured I’d start by cleaning it off. I broke out my Ryobi pressure washer with the 12″ surface cleaner attachment. I thought I was just going to knock off the dirt, but I ended up knocking off… everything. The remaining paint just started flying off in sheets.

The deck didn’t just need cleaning anymore; it needed a full restoration.

The DIY vs. Pro Debate

I immediately hit YouTube. I’m a firm believer that you can learn anything there, and sure enough, I found exactly what I needed. I could rent a massive deck floor sander from Home Depot, spend a weekend grinding it down to bare wood, and do it myself.

My wife, however, had a different vision. A vision that involved us not spending our entire weekend covered in sawdust. She voted to hire a professional.

We got a guy out for a quote. The price tag? $2,000.

Ouch.

The Unexpected Value of a Quote

While the $2,000 stung, having the pro there actually paid off in a different way. While he was inspecting the deck, he pointed to the black “dirt” on our siding that I’d been ignoring for years.

“That’s not dirt,” he said. “That’s mildew and mold.”

Great. Another project.

The 3-Minute Miracle

Faced with a $2,000 deck quote, I wanted a quick win that didn’t cost a fortune. I went back to YouTube to figure out how to handle this siding mold without destroying it with high pressure.

I found a video recommending something called “30 Seconds Outdoor Cleaner.” The claim: spray it on, wait, hose it off. No scrubbing, no pressure washer.

I was skeptical—nothing is ever that easy. It cost me about $40 at the hardware store, but it was still a lot cheaper than hiring another pro, so it was worth a shot.

I hooked it up to the regular garden hose, sprayed down the nasty black mold on the siding, and waited. True to its name, you could practically watch the mold disappear. Three minutes later, I rinsed it with just the standard hose pressure.

It was spotless. Years of grime, gone in literally minutes.

The Verdict

We are still debating the $2,000 deck refinish. I still think I can tackle it with that Home Depot rental sander.

But if you have “black dirt” on your siding, save yourself the professional cleaning fee. That $40 bottle of 30 Seconds Cleaner is the real deal. Sometimes the easiest fix actually is the best one.