And here is my oldest, who is 12. He's been helping me stain decks for the last two seasons. He's very patient for about 2 or 3 hours, then he's done, so I use him on the smaller decks. This was the first deck I ever let him wash. The kid is 5-7 at 160 pounds, and is quite able to handle the washing. In fact, within a couple years...when he is 14, I'll be looking up at him when I tell him what time to be in for the night.