5 Ways To Damage Your Composite Deck

Mistakes To Avoid When Cleaning Your Composite Deck

Contrary to popular belief, chlorine bleach is not a great cleaner for a wood deck. Luckily, you can use powdered oxygen bleach to scrub down and clean your deck without damaging the deck's wood or any surrounding plantlife. Using the Wrong CleanerComposite decking can be quite porous, so it’s important to use the correct cleaner on your deck. Avoiding using any deck cleaner that has bleach in it as it can be extremely corrosive. Instead, use an oxygenated cleaner that can reach deep into the material and clean the inside of the deck as well as the outside. If you still have any mold or mildew left bleach and water or “60 Seconds” which is a more powerful bleach available at Lowes. Make sure you rinse well after the TSP before using the bleach products as they don’t mix well.

Taking Care Of Composite Decking Home Guides Sf Gate

Composite material is made of a blend of wood fiber and recycled plastic. I apply the oxygen-bleach solution and allow it to sit for 15 minutes, never allowing it to evaporate.

Many websites also recommend using a 50/50 mixture of bleach and water to deal with mould. While bleach may be effective in dealing with the mould, it's a fairly strong substance and can also lighten the colour of your deck. Cleaning with bleach can see simple, but there are many precautions that have to be taken when using bleach. Many bleach-based cleaners require rinsing before the surface has dried.

How To Power Wash Composite Decking

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Get those gaps cleared every time you clean, and this is a problem you won’t have to deal with. You’ll want to move all the furniture sitting on your decking. This might include chairs, tables, barbeque grills and potted plants. Don’t try to clean around them it’s more hassle than it’s worth. Variable wood grain patterns and PermaTech coatings provide a highly realistic alternative to timber. It also lasts longer and has a very similar look and feel, without the maintenance problems that can occur. Outdoor decks are beloved spots for entertaining and relaxing, but like all exterior structures, decks eventually get dirty.

• 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.
• 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.

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?

If this is the case, then the wood fibers, or concentrated areas of them in the decking easily could support the growth of mold and mildew. The mold and mildew also can feed directly off of the wood fibers in your Trex decking. The dark spots on your deck, based on the photo you sent me, appear to be mold and mildew. Mold and mildew feed on natural materials such as wood fiber, natural sugars, dirt, dust, grease, oils and food. If you have trees or other vegetation near your deck shading the decking, these might be manufacturing airborne sugars that coat the deck.

Infographic On Cleaning Composite Decking

We purchased this material thinking it would be maintenance-free and are very unhappy. Use a pressure washer to remove as much of the mold as possible. Spray the deck with a hose to remove surface dirt and debris. Clean the deck with a soft-bristle brush and warm, soapy water. (Trex doesn't specify a brand of soap, so a dish soap such as Dawn is a good choice.) The brush will ensure you'll get any dirt in the embossed pattern. Use only a fan tip and up to a 3100 psi power washer to remove dirt and debris.

Olympic's cleaner contains sodium hypochlorite, or bleach, and may lighten the color of your wood deck. Trex does not recommend the use of a pressure washer. The use of a pressure washer on deck surface could damage the decking surface and will void the warranty with respect to any condition caused by the pressure washing. Store decking on a flat level surface and always use proper supports , Do not store directly on the ground. If debris, such as pollen and dirt, is allowed to remain on the deck surface, mold can feed on the biofilm. Using a hose and warm, soapy water with a soft bristle brush is recommended to remove the food source and mold.