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The composite deck is produced with hundred per cent recycled plastic and wood fibers. It is the most environmentally friendly option for deck building. It is durable, resistant to splinter, and does not require frequent and high maintenance. This is advantageous for homeowners who do not want to invest time, money, and resources on upkeep. Additionally, composite decking is available in various styles, textures, finishing, and colours and can be designed to be similar to wood decking in appearance.
Composite decking has a low-maintenance feature, which means it requires little work to maintain its beautiful look. But still, you must take care of your deck. This will retain the excellent condition of the composite material for as long as possible. Considering this, the tips below will help you properly care for and maintain your composite deck.
In This Post:
Tips for Composite Decking Maintenance and Care
Avoid Puddle and Standing Water
Composite decking can withstand water, rot, and moisture, unlike wood decking. However, you must do everything possible to avoid puddles and standing water on it. Mold and mildew grow in a variety of environments and will require air, moisture, and warm climatic conditions to thrive. So, to protect your deck, it is important to keep these things to the barest minimum.
Frequently Keep Your Deck Clean
The simplest and most effective method of maintaining the appearance of your deck and ensuring its durability is by cleaning it regularly. Fortunately, deck cleaning is neither hard nor time-consuming.
You can clean your deck in the following ways:
- Gently brush it with a nylon broom weekly
- Washing it with soapy water solution or liquid dishwasher gel
These cleaning steps will help to maintain your deck’s appearance for as long as possible.
Use a Specially Formulated Composite Deck Cleaner
Composite decking, just like other types of exterior wood, is susceptible to fading and discolouration gradually. The wood will succumb to the effects of intense sunshine, water, and varying temperatures.
Dirt will also penetrate the groove and gaps, making them hard to remove without specialized care. If this happens, then you will need an effective and specially designed composite deck cleaner.
Get a composite deck cleaner that can thoroughly clean the wood by penetrating the wood and reaching both the outer and inner parts of the deck. We recommend any water-based, eco-friendly gel formula.
Also, follow the guide on the cleaner bottle while using it to clean your deck. This typically involves brushing the cleaning formula onto the decking, allowing it to dry, and then using clean water to rinse it away.
Gaps in Deck Boards Need to Be Unclogged
Debris such as leaves and grass may get clogged or caught in the composite board gaps or grooves. Worst still, wet debris may encourage biotic decay on your deck. As soon as you find specks of dirt accumulating, please use a blade turner, spatula, or pocket knife to remove them. After that, use a garden hose to clean off whatever you may have earlier missed.
Use Woven Rugs
Trapped moisture can negatively impact your deck. This is why we advise you use woven rugs rather than mats with rubber back.
Final Notes
The secret to keeping your deck clean and neat is regular cleaning. This will reduce the likelihood of a thorough, more serious type of cleaning work. Cleaning composite deck is easy as gentle scrubbing with a broom can remove litter and scattered dirt. You can do this weekly.
For stains and grimes that do not require professional treatment or dedicated composite cleaner, you can use soapy water and light scrubbing from a stiff brush to clean them out.