How To Clean And Maintain Composite Decking

When the water dries, deposits are left behind, leaving unsightly spots on surfaces. This is not a defect of Trex products but an issue with the water itself. Generally these deposits can be cleaned with white vinegar on decking surfaces or use of Magic Eraser® on railing surfaces. Rinsing is required so care should be taken to not use hard water for this purpose, and if it must be used, dry with a cloth or use a blower to dry surfaces. Amazingly, many of the products recommended for mold are not only damaging to the deck, but will actually make the mold problem much worse in the long run.

Using the wrong products can actually make it even worse. A pressure washer can be used on capped composite decking, but it is not advised and not recommended on uncapped decking boards at all. This is partly due to the materials often being softer than standard wood and therefore more prone to damage. Chlorine bleach is particularly corrosive and can damage your decking.

Step 2: Spray With Soapy Water & Scrub

Product is water-based and may require a second application after rain or other weather conditions. Over a period of time, the effect of static will dissipate naturally on the decking surface. Hard water is water with a high amount of mineral deposits like lime, silica and calcium.

How Long Do Composite Decks Last?

• Composite decking material is softer than natural wood and therefore can be “etched” more easily.
• Pressure washing too close or using too much pressure can be ruinous for your deck.
• Pressure washing is not usually recommended for composite decking.
• In most cases, a garden hose should be sufficient for regular duty cleaning.
• Once the material has been “opened up”, this can lead to a host of other issues including chipping, sun damage, and mold staining of the plastics inside the opening.

Painted wood decks, often coordinated to match the trim on a home, come with special cleaning issues. Harsh cleaners can damage the painted surface, weakening it and leading to cracking and peeling. A gentle all-purpose deck cleaner that does not contain ammonia is usually the best choice for a painted wood deck. The label should specify the cleaner is safe for painted surfaces. The product may also contain surfactants to help stave off staining.

How To Clean Composite Decking With Bleach

Simply saturate the wood decking evenly and let it dry on its own—no scrubbing or even mopping required. Mildewcide in the solution works to kill and remove any existing mold, while also helping to prevent future mold, moss, and mildew growth. If you live in an area where rain is frequent, mold and/or mildew can grow on your wood deck. Left untreated, these fungi will thrive and eventually destroy the wood’s cellular structure, leading to rot and decay. At the first sign of mold or mildew (grayish-white powdery-looking splotches) look for a cleaner containing mildewcide .

Bleach is also a poor choice anyway for removing mold. This is because bleach is effective on non-porous surfaces , but does not perform well on porous surfaces such as uncapped composite decking. Composite decking is an alternative form of decking built out of composite materials – wood fibres, plastics, and inorganic filler materials. Composite decking can be manufactured to very convincingly imitate the smell, feel and look of wood, but the care, maintenance and cleaning it requires is very different. In most cases composite decks require a lot less effort to maintain than pure timber decks, and for many people not having to oil and stain the deck is one of the main selling points.

Although composite decking can be “less maintenance” than other types of decking, this certainly doesn’t mean “maintenance free”. In fact, there are some mistakes that can actually increase the regular care required to maintain a composite deck. Here are a few tips to avoid the extra work and get the most out of your deck. You don't have to seal the surface once it's been cleaned, but I suggest you do. By properly sealing or staining composite decking, you could get several years of use out of it before you need to clean it again. This condition can be decreased greatly with the use of a product call ACL Staticide®. Two products tested were General Purpose Staticide® and Heavy Duty Staticide®.

Mold and mildew can grow on nearly any building material. The first step in your composite decking care and maintenance routine, is to stay away from certain household chemicals that a natural wood deck requires to stay looking new. Some of these harsher chemicals can damage the composite material, and no one wants to do more harm than good to their deck. You can then use your garden hose or a pressure washer to rinse the surface of the deck. Try to time your deck cleaning project for nice weather. It is best if you can allow your deck to dry for hours before staining and sealing. Vinegar is powerful and safe for both composite and wood decking, mix a half-cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to ¼ a cup of baking soda with 1 gallon of water.