With the likelihood of an explosive eruption from Mt Spurr increasing, many Alaska residents will receive some level of ashfall. It's important to know what to do when it comes your way. The USGS website put together a pamphlet that covers what to do Before, During and After an Ashfall.

It may not look like it, but volcanic ash is heavier than you might think. It's best to get rid of it as soon as it is safe to be outside. It's also best to coordinate clean up with your neighbors and try to coincide with city street cleaning when possible.

Volcanic ash is a mix of rock, mineral and glass particles, so the fragments can cause irritation and bronchitis-like symptons. It's also pretty slippery, so use extra caution when cleaning it, particularly from your roof.

Cleaning Up Outside Do's

Always wear a recommended mask when you clean up ash. If you don't have one, use a wet cloth. In dry conditions, wear eye protection such as goggles.
Lightly dampen the ash before wiping, sweeping or shoveling it up. If you get it too wet, it can turn gluey and become even harder to remove.
Start with your roof first since most roofs cannot support the weight of more than four inches of wet ash. Again, ash is slippery, so use caution when climbing on ladders and roofs.
Use a shovel for thicker deposits and a stiff broom to get rid of smaller patches of ash.
Place ash in sealed garbage bags, separate from regular trash. Seek advice from public officials about where to dispose of volcanic ash in your area.
Cut grass and hedges only after rain or light sprinkling, and make sure to bag the clippings

Cleaning Up Outside Dont's

Don't heavily soak the ash as it will get thick and gluey, making it heavier and more difficult to clean up.
Don't wash the ash into the sewers or storm drains. It can damage waste water treatment systems and clog pipes.
Don't dump the ash in your garden or along the roadside.

Cleaning Your Trex Decking

Composite decking like Trex is very well protected against damage from volcanic ash. Only after you've removed the bulk of the ash from your deck and other outdoor spaces, it's recommended to clean and rinse your deck. For more information about the right way to clean your Trex deck, visit Trex Care & Maintenance

Cleaning Your Pressure Treated Deck

Again, it's important to remove the ash from your deck before cleaning it as large amounts of water can make ash thicken and difficult to remove.

There are several options for cleaning your pressure treated decking, depending on whether or not your deck is stained.

Pressure Washing - pressure washers will blast away anyting on the surface, leaving the wood nice and clean. It's important to get the pressure right though so that you don't damage the wood. 1000 to 1200 psi is ideal for cleaning wood.

Soap and Water - it's a simple, inexpensive method that works well and anyone can do. Mix dish soap with water in a pucket and then use an old mop or broom to scrub the decking. Make sure to use ammonia-free soap because ammonia can damage the wood.

Wood/Deck Cleaning Products - effective, but they will strip the wood stain from your deck. Only use one of these if you are planning to stain your deck afterwards. These products are either bleach-based or oxygenated. Both work well, but used in high concentrations, bleach can damage the wood over time. Oxygenated cleaners won't damage the wood and they're safer for use in the garden.

Deck Foundations

While there are many different types of foundations available for building deck structures, we've found that driven steel piles, helical steel piles and concrete sonotubes are the best suited options for the Alaskan environment and soil conditions. And importantly, all three are approved for use by the Municipality of Anchorage Building Safety Department.

Often the type of foundation support we use is dependent on both access to the site as well as the specific ground soil type and conditions.

Driven Steel Piles

This is a foundation consisting of a steel pipe that is driven into the ground. Treeline Construction likes to use this style of foundation in rocky soil conditions like Eagle River and the Anchorage Hillside area as well as for lake docks where an extended depth is required.

These are installed with a vibratory hammer attachment on a backhoe that pounds them to a point of refusal. The refusal depth can vary quite a bit however in the Anchorage bowl, but the average depth is about 15-18 foot deep. Pipe diameter size is determined by the load that it is supporting. Both 2 inch and 3 inch diameter pipes are the most commonly used for our deck builds.

Helical Steel Piles

Helical piles consist of a steel pipe with a helical screw blade welded to the bottom. Instead of hammering like the driven piles, helical piles are screwed into the ground. Treeline Construction likes to use this style in less rocky soils like in the lower Anchorage bowl area.

These are installed to a minimum torque pressure at a minimum depth. Pipe diameter size is determined by the load that it is supporting, but 3 inch diameter pipe is the most used for our deck builds.

Concrete Sonotubes:

Sonotubes are round cylinders of concrete reinforced with rebar, poured in place. Because they are a lot more labor intensive to construct and more prone to frost heaving, we at Treeline don'e use sonotubes very often for our foundation supports.

That being said, concrete sonotubes still serve a purpose and work well for their intended use. Typically we use them when we don't have access to bring in the equipment to drive steel piles or if the intended location is too close to marked utilities which would make driving piles less safe.

Again, size of the sonotube will be determined by the load that it will be supporting.

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Cleaning Up After Volcanic Ashfall