How to Maintain Long Life Decking

Composite decking typically consists of the various type of plastic material, such as polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride, and wood particles. Boards might be hollow or hard. Hollow boards are cheaper than hard boards and don’t tend to expand often as solid boards do; however, when they do shift, they tend to do so in only one area. Furthermore, hollow boards are not as sturdy and can hold water internally, which in turn can lead to warping and decomposition. While solid boards expand and contract more than hollow boards, they are stronger and tend to look more like real wood than hollow composites.

Composite Deck Cleaning

The first step is to clean the composite deck boards to remove any mildew, dirt or stains that are on the deck now. For cleaning, I highly recommend using a power washer on composite decks as opposed to just a garden hose and a scrub brush. A power washer will not only help get things cleaner than scrubbing by hand, but it will also do it much faster. Just remember, anything that is not removed by cleaning will not be able to be removed once the project is finished. So take your time and thoroughly clean the deck.

Oil and grease stains

Household degreasing agents, such as a dishwashing detergent, should be used to eliminate the oil and grease stain as quickly the stain is noticed. Be sure to carefully rinse the detergent off the deck with warm water. If the stain sits for more than some hours the most effective method of removing it is by an oil stain remover such as OSR or else Pour-N-Restore.

Pressure washer

You can use a pressure washer to fresh and clean your deck. Always use a fan tip blade through no more than 1200 PSI, and do not apply closer than 9-10″ from the deck surface. Doing so might cause damage to the exterior of the deck.

Debris and Dirt

Keep your deck clean by sweeping to eliminate dirt and debris. Using a leaf blower can be an extremely helpful quick clean one time a week. If necessary, mild soap and warm water can be use with a scrub brush to gently remove obstinate spots.