Cleaning Composite Decking – some guidance and tips
Maintaining and cleaning Composite decking is important even though it is often promoted as ‘maintenance free decking’. In many ways it is very much a product that requires very little maintenance, it will for example not require staining, and there is no possibility that it will rot and soften out from years of damp or termites as timber would. That is why it is becoming a popular choice for decking and one of the reasons Sun Decking are enthused to provide high quality, great value composite decking.
Composite decking does however need to be looked after on a regular basis, much as any flooring product requires basic cleaning. Day to day life also presents cleaning challenges and so we know it will be useful to provide some support and guidance so you are able to keep your composite deck to the standard you desire.
While maintenance is significantly lower than natural timber, there are a few steps you can take to ensure your composite decking looks and feels great, and we’ve surmised the most important considerations here.
Classic composite decking
Start off with a clean deck
When your deck is initially installed with the new boards then there is usually quite a lot of residual manufacturing dust/dirts on the composite decking product. This is from the sanding and processing of the board in manufacturing. If you are installing the boards then you will notice it, if not then it may not be obvious. Either way it is very sensible to give the decking a really good gurney once installed in order to clear off all the dust remnants and bring out the best in the colours.
Avoid standing water
Composite decking is manufactured to resist water ingress and the rot that comes with it. In 28 day submersion tests a good composite would only take in 2 or 3% of its weight in water. Whilst this is reassuring the composite decking design must avoid standing water around the deck to avoid damage from longer term, years, of immersion.
This is one of the reasons warranties exclude decking placed on the ground, without sufficient gaps and air circulation to allow boards to remain predominantly dry. So take the time in the installation to make sure there is ventilation around your decking.
In the design then do ensure that the gutter downspouts are not outpouring onto the deck, good design will avoid this unnecessary water and dirt accumulating on the deck.
Keep mould at bay
Another consequence of water remaining on the decking boards for a long period is the likelihood of mould appearing.
Mould resistance is high on composite decking and it will however appear on any product in the right conditions. Standing water with warm conditions allows this to happen more easily. It is often the case that mould also grows initially on the dirt left on a surface as opposed to the actual material of the surface.
A well ventilated deck that is cleaned regularly will be at minimal risk of moulds.
Cleaning
Cleaning composite decking is pretty easy with most regular floor cleaners, most are alkaline based, and it is better to simply not use a bleach based product as there is no benefit to the cleaning process.
The Elite™ product has a virgin plastic laminate around the composite. This does make it more resilient to harsh cleaning products and solvents, and it is quite happy to have turps used to clean off paint for example. It also for example resilient to mosquito creams/sprays and suncreams will not effect it. If you have any really bad problems with stains and want to use some unusual solvent then just put the product on an offcut for an hour to check, it will almost certainly be okay.
Classic™ composite boards are a different product for cleaning. The surface is a true WPC composite in that it is 55% timber product bonded with plastics. Be sure not to use any bleach products and just use a mild floor cleaner when you are cleaning composite decking, most are slightly alkaline in any case. The classic™ will take up stains more easily than the Elite™ composite boards and generally it is sufficient to soak stains with a mild cleaner and then scrub/gurney the area. This board does not like bleach products, the timber element of the product is organic and susceptible to becoming lighter with bleach.
Cleaning of both decking products with an alkaline solution such as Borax is helpful in place of bleach and is easy to find in Woolworths or similar stores. If you want to prevent or kill any mould spores this is probably the first go to option. It is also a disinfectant and will help neutralise food spills that may have made their way into the decking gaps. It also will keep the ants at bay on your deck.
Sealers
Composite decking is designed to not require sealers. They will continue to look good and be durable with just some general cleaning as discussed. The Elite™ composite boards are simply going to be unable to take any sort of stain, it will just fall off and ruin the boards. The Classic™ decking boards have the ability to take some sealing and staining products should you wish to change the colouring at a later stage or perhaps ‘refresh’ the deck to create a different look. If you are considering this just give us a call to discuss.
Are you looking to transform your outdoor space?
Adding a deck or patio is an exciting home improvement upgrade that’s worth doing right.
While timber looks great, the increased upfront cost for premium timber and high maintenance year after year can be a turn off. For the same visual ‘WOW’ factor (without the cost) try composite decking to help you save time and money.
If you’re curious about adding composite decking to your home, click here for a fast, free quote or to ask our friendly experts a question.
