How To Clean Your Composite Decking

Menards' private label composite is made from their leftover shrink wrap and scraps of wood. They even "sell" the "natural graying" as being a good thing, even though it really means the shrink wrap is melting away and the wood splinters and shards are going to pop. The only way to save it after a few years is to coat it with something. Of course there is never any mention of this when the product is being sold.

Seal The Deck

Lastly, selecting a product with zinc nano-particles is especially beneficial. Zinc is a natural combatant to mold growth and will have a profound effect on delaying the re-growth of mildew. Consider using DEFY Composite Deck Sealer – Crystal Clear.

Remove Dirt And Salt

• Mold, mildew, and dirt attack every deck - plastic, metal, wood or composite – with evenhanded tenacity, and have to be taken care of at regular intervals.
• Now that a little time has passed and some research has been done, these expansive claims are just not holding up.
• All composite manufacturers now recommend a periodic maintenance schedule, specific procedures, and even products by brand name for cleaning and maintaining their composite materials.
• Sealing a composite deck will also help restore color and aid in the cleaning process the next time the composite wood decking needs maintenance.
• Most of the composite decking sealers apply easily with a pump sprayer and are user friendly.

If really deep mildew stains, bleach will work. The surface can be cleaned and treated with a sealer to block out the sun’s damaging UV rays and moisture. When these types of decks are not protected they can gray out, warp, split, and collect mold and mildew. When you brush the sealer, the brush creates friction on the surface, breaks the surface tension of the wood, and works the sealer into the pores of the wood.

Composite Sealer Reviews In 2020

For snow removal, choose a plastic shovel instead of metal. Wipe away excess sealer.This may seem counterintuitive, but if you apply more sealer than your deck can absorb, make sure to wipe away the excess. If too much sealer is applied, it will puddle on your surface and leave behind shiny spots, which will look bad. Those spots will likely flake and peel over time as well. Never apply more sealer than your decking can absorb easily.

Most are wood, but a substantial percentage are composite. My customers loved the Superdeck composite deck sealer, and the fact that "composite" was front and center on the label made it an easy choice for them. The best method for composite deck stain removal is to use the same method you would to remove mildew and mold from your deck. For tougher situations, applying a vinegar-water mix and sprinkling baking soda over the affected area should lift those stains. Just like painting, it’s important that you clean the deck of any dirt, debris, mold, mildew or grime. Make sure to follow the instructions on the label for best results. Adding deck stain for composite decking or a topcoat of paint can help restore the color and beauty while extending your deck’s already long lifespan.

Only apply as much deck sealer as the composite lumber can easily absorb. If you decide to not seal the deck, you will most likely need to clean it again every year or so. The reason why mildew grows on composite decking is simple. Follow these simple steps to clean mold on composite decking (cleaning Trex®). If your deck is constructed of older composite decking (installed prior to mid-2000), then you probably know what a big problem unsightly mildew growth has become.

It seems to be waterlogged-doesn’t repel at all. Is there a product that can help restore it? We don’t know the exact year it was installed or the manufacturer.

Does Defy offer a product to allow me to stain my composite deck, such as Defy Extreme or another product, and therefore change colors? Last question, I am replacing an older portion of wooden deck with Trex. Should I seal the new deck boards with clear Defy Sealer before installed and avoid the past issues of black mildew/algae build up or is it necessary with newer Trex composites? I really like what I read about your products. Like other wood deck varieties, composite decking is quite porous. It's best to use an oxygenated cleaner that will sink deep into the material to clean the lower layers as well as on the surface. Pressure washing is not usually recommended for composite decking.

Eventually, it will discolor your deck, damage the surface and exacerbate any mold/mildew issues that can occur. Avoid this costly mistake and choose a non-toxic, sodium percarbonate based cleaner. While you may be tempted to wait until your next routine cleaning to remove the food, it should be done immediately or else staining might result. About 3 years ago I cleaned it which got rid of the natural (mildew and/or algae I guess) stains and discoloration.

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Composite wood decks are also prone to fading, mold, and mildew. Just because it’s low maintenance doesn’t mean that you should omit the maintenance part completely. One of the most important and often excluded step in regular deck maintenance is to protect your deck against moisture intrusion. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is for composite decking! Any decking material exposed to the outdoors is susceptible to mold/mildew growth especially in climates with higher humidity levels. Water left pooling on the surface or inside your deck can create problems such as mold/mildew growth, deck rot, and warping.

Make sure the deck surface is clean, dry and in good condition. You may need to wait a few days for the deck to completely dry depending on weather conditions.

Composite decking is a synthetic blend of recycled plastic and wood. In the past decade or so composite decking has really taken off. This popularity was mainly due to the term "maintenance free" coined by the industry. Some of the major composite decking companies like Trex, Timber Tech, and Azek claimed that the composite decking material did not need to be cleaned or sealed like wood decking. This year we has moss and mildew and noticed some black growing.

Hopefully I'll get 300 square feet per gallon. This can happen in many ways but the most common is just the daily use of the deck. After a while, foot traffic on the deck wears off some of the plastic coating that surrounds and protects the wood particles in the composite material, exposing them to the environment. This is the cause of "white-spotting" as the sun fades the particles. It also gives mold and mildew an opening to root in the deck. How mold and mildew get a foothold is well understood.