5 Ways To Damage Your Composite Deck

Mistakes To Avoid When Cleaning Your Composite Deck

Left that way, they can become old and weathered before their time. To keep your deck looking great, clean it annually—ideally, in spring or early summer—then follow up with a sealer to protect it. Be the first to know what's next at Clorox from offers to tips to products. Apply bleach solution using a brush or broom on horizontal surfaces, and a sponge or mop on vertical surfaces. We put together all the essentials for your decking care and maintenance.

Taking Care Of Composite Decking Home Guides Sf Gate

If the pressure is too high on your hose, it can create discoloration on the surface of your deck. Use a garden hose and spray in a uniform motion across the deck. If you have a pressurized attachment, you'll want to make sure that the pressure is not too high and not too low. Adjust the nozzle so that the hose creates a fan of water and not a single stream. If you don't have an adjustable nozzle, you can fit your thumb over half of the opening on the end of the hose to create a similar effect. Rinse with Clean WaterOnce the deck has been scrubbed, rinse thoroughly with clean water, ensuring all the soapy water has been rinsed clear from the deck. Spray with Soapy Water and ScrubSpray the deck thoroughly with soapy water, using long sweeping motions and following the length of the boards.

Make sure you inspect the gaps and keep the spaces between the deck boards clean and free of debris. The combination of moisture and dirt/pollen will cause mold to start growing on your deck.

How To Power Wash Composite Decking

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Bleach can alter the natural pH of wood; damaging its cellular structure. Wood is slightly acidic while bleach has a basic pH. So bleach applied to wood can break down wood fibers and prematurely age your deck. If you enjoy the look of your deck, you may not want to use bleach. Bleach can potentially lighten the color of stained, painted, or natural wood decks. Natural tropical woods used for decking come with interesting names like cumaru, red tauari, tigerwood, and massaranduba. These hard, durable deck materials are richly-grained and naturally resistant to wood-boring insects and rot. Here we’ll cover the most popular types of deck material, and how to easily clean decking with Wet & Forget Outdoor.

How Long Do Composite Decks Last?

• One of the best ways to care for your deck is to clean it regularly - don’t let it get past the point of no return.
• If you are reading a product label, Chlorine Bleach is referred to as Sodium Hypochlorite.
• Trex Decks can last a lifetime and will maintain their quality but sometimes they show their age.
• Chlorine Bleach has been proven to kill bacteria and viruses on non-porous surfaces, but has not been proven effective in killing mold from porous surfaces, such as composite decking.
• Another way of maintaining a clean composite deck is after the cleaning is complete to apply a water sealer made specifically for composite decking.

Gently scrub the deck with a soft-bristled brush to remove any built-up dirt on the deck. Composite decking is a great alternative to traditional wood decking.

Water spots, also known as tannin stains, are normal occurrences on wood. Over time, you will likely start to notice some on your deck. Make sure the surface is completely dry and then apply a deck brightener product that contains oxalic acid on the surface of your deck. Address the oily stain as soon as you notice it; the longer it sits on the surface of your deck, the more difficult it will be to remove. Use a soft bristled brush and soapy water to scrub at the stain.

Your deck can appear to be clean from the green and black growth because it is bleached out. However, the growth is still remaining on the surface and can regrow on your deck very quickly.

If you need to shovel snow off of your deck, gently use a plastic shovel or a broom to remove snow. Be sure to shovel parallel to the direction the boards are laid. If it’s a topical stain on a first or second generation Trex deck - you can pretty much wipe it off with anything but that’s not going to work on deep set mold. You would have to scrub until your knuckles go bloody and even then - it still wouldn’t be able to get below the surface. Over-spray from bleach cleaning happens and it can kill plants and trees. Not only is bleach corrosive and damaging to the plants it directly comes in contact with, it will most likely kill plants altogether.