Most deck cleaning companies in Maryland and Virginia use traditional pressure washing methods for their deck cleaning services. While this might sound acceptable, high pressure can actually cause serious damage to the wood of your deck and home. DeckMaster uses a revolutionary new process - the PressureLess Deck Cleaning & Preservation System. With this low-pressure system, your wood stays healthy and strong, while still receiving the cleaning it needs. The way it cleans is through the use of a safe yet powerful chemical mix that actually opens the pores of the wood and restores its natural tone.
Services
DeckMaster is family owned & operated business based out of Maryland. It all started in 1998 when Jose Ugalde decided to make a change. At the time he was working for a power washing company as a technician, and Jose witnessed day after day how poor the cleaning methods were. He noticed that many of the decks were showing signs of extreme wood damage.
DeckMaster uses a revolutionary PressureLess cleaning and preservation system that removes dirt, debris and old sealants and stains without harming the wood's composition. Unlike power washing, our innovative cleaning process does not require the high pressure that can damage your deck wood. Our process does not contain bleach or other harmful chemicals and won't cause your wood to dry out and crack or warp.
Hire any other deck washing company and you'll most likely get a high-powered (3000-5000 psi) pressure washer that blasts the dirt away. While that might sound good, we don't recommend it. High pressure washers have been proven to cause long term damage to the wood of your deck. That's why DeckMaster has developed a different way to maintain and clean decks.
Even the best decks start to show signs of wear and tear over the years. With time, wooden boards begin to rot, crack and loosen. These seemingly small issues can become serious safety hazards. Larger damages from accidents or natural disasters occasionally happen and require larger repairs. No matter how severe the damage to your deck is, DeckMaster can help.
Reviews (14)
Tara G.
Sep 08, 2020
Everything was handled wonderfully, with great communication by everyone during the entire job. David was very thorough with his estimates and any questions we had during the process, and Nestor did a phenomenal job with his crew getting all the work done with quality and care. They were able to take a VERY old deck and bring it up to code and the quality work is very much appreciated! Highly recommend Deckmasters and Nestor's crew in particular. I can't wait to see the final result once the stain is done in a couple weeks.
Peyton S.
Apr 04, 2020
Julita L.
Aug 09, 2019
I was cautious in using this company because of the mixed reviews. However, I decided to use them after the project manager came out. He seemed nice and professional. Now that the job is done I wish I had chosen another company! Customer service with this company leaves a lot to be desired. The crew damaged my retaining wall in the process and did not disclose that to me.
After I got home my husband and I found the damage. My husband came home briefly during the time of the repair and recalls them using a portion of the wall in their job. After inspection, it was a portion of the wall that was not adjacent to where they were working. So I was confused as to how they got it off and why would they would use it to begin with.
When I called Deckmaster and told them that I was not signing the invoice or sending final payment until this was fixed they asked me to send pictures. The contractor denied knowing anything about it until I sent the picture that my husband took of them using the paver. He came out to fix it twice and did a poor job! I called the company again upset and frustrated at this time.
The project manager that I met initially and thought was nice and professional was then rude and condescending. At that point, I was done with this company. I told him about their lack of integrity and unprofessionalism. He then revealed that the contractor dropped something on my retaining wall and that is what caused the damage. This was news to me especially since the contractor denied knowing how it got damaged and denied using the paver in their job.
I asked for a different contractor to come out but was told that the contractor I had was "the best". I said I don't care because he came back twice and it is still not fixed. He then had me speak with their office manager and that was a waste of time. She barely apologized and just said the same guy will be there again to fix it. It is now fixed and I have already mailed my final payment. However, today I get a very rude voicemail from the project manager demanding their final payment.
No one called to check if the work was done to my liking. They didn't even call to see how things went. I cancelled the other service that the project manager recommended. After this fiasco, I want nothing more to do with this company. The customer service specialist informed me that I may be charged a fee for canceling the job. I knew that too was a lie because I was told by the project manager that I could cancel any of these services that I got an estimate for prior to the start date.
Her reply, "oh ok". This company lacks integrity. I should have gone with another small contractor since their price was comparable. But I chose Deckmaster thinking that they were a reputable company. I DO NOT recommend this company.
After I got home my husband and I found the damage. My husband came home briefly during the time of the repair and recalls them using a portion of the wall in their job. After inspection, it was a portion of the wall that was not adjacent to where they were working. So I was confused as to how they got it off and why would they would use it to begin with.
When I called Deckmaster and told them that I was not signing the invoice or sending final payment until this was fixed they asked me to send pictures. The contractor denied knowing anything about it until I sent the picture that my husband took of them using the paver. He came out to fix it twice and did a poor job! I called the company again upset and frustrated at this time.
The project manager that I met initially and thought was nice and professional was then rude and condescending. At that point, I was done with this company. I told him about their lack of integrity and unprofessionalism. He then revealed that the contractor dropped something on my retaining wall and that is what caused the damage. This was news to me especially since the contractor denied knowing how it got damaged and denied using the paver in their job.
I asked for a different contractor to come out but was told that the contractor I had was "the best". I said I don't care because he came back twice and it is still not fixed. He then had me speak with their office manager and that was a waste of time. She barely apologized and just said the same guy will be there again to fix it. It is now fixed and I have already mailed my final payment. However, today I get a very rude voicemail from the project manager demanding their final payment.
No one called to check if the work was done to my liking. They didn't even call to see how things went. I cancelled the other service that the project manager recommended. After this fiasco, I want nothing more to do with this company. The customer service specialist informed me that I may be charged a fee for canceling the job. I knew that too was a lie because I was told by the project manager that I could cancel any of these services that I got an estimate for prior to the start date.
Her reply, "oh ok". This company lacks integrity. I should have gone with another small contractor since their price was comparable. But I chose Deckmaster thinking that they were a reputable company. I DO NOT recommend this company.
A. T.
Jul 24, 2019
Very rude customer service. I would not recommend. I tried to schedule an appointment to discuss building a deck at our house. The operator asked me how much I was looking to spend and what material I wanted to use. When I answered that we had wood in mind, but would need to meet with their specialist before giving her a $ amount of what we wanted to spend, she answered that they are giving priority to people who are actually willing to start the works, and gave me a date two months out.
Once I said that we were ready to start, but needed to learn more about the process, she answered that without an amount in mind, a deck cannot be built. I will be bringing my business elsewhere.
Once I said that we were ready to start, but needed to learn more about the process, she answered that without an amount in mind, a deck cannot be built. I will be bringing my business elsewhere.
Cliff S.
Jul 23, 2018
Deck Masters did a great job of restoring my deck to it's original light stain. I was impressed that they did not use heavy pressure to remove the old dark stain and algae. They were professional in every way. It has been more than a couple months now and plenty of rain has given me confidence that it will hold up. I would have happily given 5 stars IF I did not have to call them back to complete 2nd and final step of staining. Perhaps it is a shortage of qualified employees, and I can appreciate that, but it needs to be addressed. But they are really good!
K. B.
Jun 27, 2018
Pros: Fair price, good work, honest business. Cons: Communications. I dinged a star. I had to call them a couple of times to get info on when they'd return to finish the two day process for refurbishing my deck. First day is power washing.a few days to dry out.then a return to replace any boards, sand and stain. We got some rain so it threw their schedules out of whack, understandably, but I had to chase down the info on project completion date. Would I recommend? Yes, and did so immediately with a neighbor who did have them do her deck and she was also very happy with the results.
Rick S.
Jun 19, 2018
Deckmaster rebuilt our 25-year-old deck in 2014. Their attention to detail is second to none. Their carpenters are artisans, mitering every corner to a precision of 1/8. We had this deck resealed this spring, and it looks as good as new. My only suggestion is to make an appointment well in advance of when you want the work done. They're extremely busy, and there's obviously a good reason for that.
Mark R.
Apr 25, 2018
The DeckMaster team is detail-oriented and responsive to customer needs. I would consider myself a "tough" and "needy" customer. I had a lot of questions before committing, all of which were thoroughly answered. I was on site while the work was being done looking over their shoulders and made a detailed inspection upon completion of the job. I had one issue after they left and it was corrected the following day. I highly recommend their services. They will do what you ask, which many of their competitors refused to do.
K. M.
Oct 23, 2017
Jill L.
Sep 11, 2017
I used Deck Master two years ago, and they did an awesome job. I organized a group in my townhome condo, and everyone loved their work. We basically had boards replaced, then deck was washed and stained. Two years later looks as good as it did when it was done. A neighbor just used them last month after admiring my deck. They were punctional, and very professional. I highly recommend.
Gary B.
Aug 25, 2017
Reasonable estimate and very professional/knowledgeable salesman. Restoration carpentry work required a call back for some areas of poor workmanship and a lack of attention to detail. Stain was not applied properly and also required a call back for re-staining. While the company did attempt to make it right, after 7 weeks we are less than satisfied with the final product.
Michelle L.
Aug 19, 2017
I would have liked to give a 3 1/2 star rating but 4 is really too much. The consultant that came out gave us a very reasonable estimate with different options. Our deck was old, not in great shape from previous owners, but we wanted to try to save what we could and only replace what was necessary. He was one of only two people willing to look at this option, out of 6 estimates from different companies!
They were very busy so two days later our 'booking time' was postponed another week. Then there was rain, etc, which made scheduling tough. Fortunately the scheduling people were good about updating us as to when what would happen. The team that came out was a two man team - Jose and his assistant. Granted the deck wasn't in great shape, but they managed to make a huge mess, scrape paint off the side of our house and completely soak themselves.
Then they had to wait a few days to let it dry out ( the cleaner was Amazing!) and the same team came to do the repair work before staining. These are not carpenters - replacing a few boards, cutting the right size, screwing in safety screws safely and straight, hammering in old nails, properly sanding all horizontal surfaces - these repairs were all too much for this team.
Very shoddy carpentry work. The stain is a spray on, two coat process. Here too. I didn't feel it was very evenly done, but it looks better than it was originally. There was no further check or follow up planned. At this point, I would give it a 2 star rating. I called the original consultant to suggest he come see the actual work done. He came within a day and promised to get a team back to fix these mistakes and finish the job.
They came within a week and did repair all the glaring, dangerous problems. For the money we paid and the condition of the original deck, we feel like it was good enough. It would have gone better had I been available to watch them work and be present at the end of each day to point out the details. We felt like the original consultant, his bid and follow up afterwards along with the courteous scheduler were what brought it up to a 3 1/2 when it was all said and done. Everyone was perfectly pleasant but in the end, it was disappointing that the guys doing the actual work were sloppy and poor carpenters.
They were very busy so two days later our 'booking time' was postponed another week. Then there was rain, etc, which made scheduling tough. Fortunately the scheduling people were good about updating us as to when what would happen. The team that came out was a two man team - Jose and his assistant. Granted the deck wasn't in great shape, but they managed to make a huge mess, scrape paint off the side of our house and completely soak themselves.
Then they had to wait a few days to let it dry out ( the cleaner was Amazing!) and the same team came to do the repair work before staining. These are not carpenters - replacing a few boards, cutting the right size, screwing in safety screws safely and straight, hammering in old nails, properly sanding all horizontal surfaces - these repairs were all too much for this team.
Very shoddy carpentry work. The stain is a spray on, two coat process. Here too. I didn't feel it was very evenly done, but it looks better than it was originally. There was no further check or follow up planned. At this point, I would give it a 2 star rating. I called the original consultant to suggest he come see the actual work done. He came within a day and promised to get a team back to fix these mistakes and finish the job.
They came within a week and did repair all the glaring, dangerous problems. For the money we paid and the condition of the original deck, we feel like it was good enough. It would have gone better had I been available to watch them work and be present at the end of each day to point out the details. We felt like the original consultant, his bid and follow up afterwards along with the courteous scheduler were what brought it up to a 3 1/2 when it was all said and done. Everyone was perfectly pleasant but in the end, it was disappointing that the guys doing the actual work were sloppy and poor carpenters.
N. L.
May 08, 2017
Only 4 stars because I haven't seen the work yet, but I'm optimistic. Jose answered all our questions, calculated an estimate for a fence and deck on the spot, and--as it turned out after getting other estimates--gave one of the best prices with the best grade of materials (for example, using screws instead of nails on the fence). The office staff were also willing to try to work us into the schedule sooner. Communication wasn't totally seamless (yet to find a contractor whose is) but it was pretty good.
Rick S.
Jun 21, 2016
Had DeckMaster demolish a deteriorating deck and build a new one. Jose and Oscar return all calls quickly, were very professional and provided invaluable experience with designing our deck. I wanted to replace our old deck with essentially the same design but constructed out of trex material. After some discussion, they made several insightful suggestions that changed the overall design to an absolute work of art.
The newly designed deck is one level, giving a cleaner look, The project was finished at a cost lower than I was expecting, looks much nicer than I expected and was completed on schedule.
The newly designed deck is one level, giving a cleaner look, The project was finished at a cost lower than I was expecting, looks much nicer than I expected and was completed on schedule.
