Decking Cleaning Tips & Tricks

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.

Perhaps you’ve seen sap coating a freshly cleaned car that’s parked under a tree. The spots show up easily on the high-gloss surface of a car paint job, but are tough to detect on a flat finish such as your deck boards. A power washer can be used for RINSING ONLY with TimberTech Deck or Porch. Spray in the direction of the grain pattern, never across the grain, to avoid damaging the product.

How To Power Wash Composite Decking

Don't use power washers or chlorine bleach to wash your deck. Power washers can sometimes be too powerful and could damage the wood forever. Instead of using a power washer, use a pressurized adjustment on your hose or a lighter pressure spray machine.

• Although the surface looks solid, composite decking is actually quite porous.
• Therefore, it needs an oxygenated cleaner that can reach deep into the material and clean insidethe deck as well as the surface.
• When purchasing a cleaner, always check the label and NEVER use a Chlorine Bleach based “deck cleaner”.
• Chlorine Bleach is extremely corrosive and will “eat” any material it’s applied to.
• If the active ingredients read – Sodium Hypochlorite, it contains Bleach.
• Eventually, it will discolor your deck, damage the surface and exacerbate any mold/mildew issues that can occur.

Sweep the deck and apply the product directly to the stain. Saturate the area and allow it to sit on the stain for about 15 minutes. Use a deck brightener than contains oxalic acid on tannin stains.

Can I Use A Pressure Washer On My Composite Decking?

A plastic shovel may be used to remove snow from the deck. Use calcium chloride or rock salt to melt the snow and ice from the deck surface. The affected area should be sprayed off with a hose to remove surface debris. Use warm, soapy water and a soft bristle brush to remove dirt and debris from the embossing pattern. Using a metal shovel or a shovel lined with metal will scratch your decking. Composite decking can easily handle winter weather such as snow.

Infographic On Cleaning Composite Decking

This isn’t more effective than scrubbing by hand, but it’s much faster. If you have a large deck, you may prefer this approach. Use a pressure washer with no greater than 3100 psi and make sure it has a fan attachment and soap dispenser. Use the fan attachment to spray each individual deck board and rinse away the soap and debris.

Shovels with a metal cutting edge nick, cut, and damage the composite decking. While mildew and mold can infiltrate and ruin a wooden deck, it can’t damage a composite deck. They look unsightly on your deck, but it won’t harm or ruin the composite structure. If the stain or material is unusual, this cleaning method might not remove the stain.