How To Clean Your Composite Decking

Will the Defy deck cleaner likely get the black stains out of the composite deck pores that still remain? If the stains can be removed and I then apply the clear Defy sealer, what likely will be my deck color? When dry the current light tan color becomes much closer to the original saddle when wet with water, so would my Defy sealed deck once dried be colored more like it is now when dry or wet? Another option I’d like to pursue is changing colors from the tan/cedar tones to a weathered gray.

Seal The Deck

In the past 2 weeks we Have worked to get the deck back to a fresh clean look. The water does not quickly absorb when we spray the deck. We want to preserve the work we have just completed.

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.

Make sure to scrape along, not against, the grain. The heat gun serves to soften your decking so that your brushing can more easily blend the scratch into the decking material. The brush will expose the non-weathered surface beneath, which will be another color.

Composite Sealer Reviews In 2020

The most they will venture is that their composite decks require "less maintenance" than wood decks. Certainteed, for example, allows only that its EverNew® 20 decking offers "weatherable low-maintenance design…".

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.

The more sealer that you can get the wood to absorb, the longer your project will last. Check out this video that shows how to apply deck stains quickly using a car-wash style brush on a pole. This is my favorite method as it does an exceptional job and makes the job go fast. Is there anything you can do to make it look wet all the time? It’s very hard to keep clean so I thought if there’s a sealer that is safe for text decking it would solve both problems. Hi our composite deck not only has mildew in areas but has also lost its smooth texture and color.

Once well anchored in the wood particles, mold and mildew are almost impossible to eradicate. Composite decking companies themselves are much more circumspect. None now claims composite decks to be maintenance-free.

A power washer does an effective job at cleaning and removing stains and other particles. Keep in mind that whatever you don’t remove while cleaning, you can no longer get out after sealing so you’ll want to invest time and effort during this step. I have never had to seal a composite deck so I am basically looking for help and info. Deck is brand new and HO and builder wants a clear sealer put on it. Its my first time I've been requested to put a sealer on a composite deck. I've talked to the paint stores and they all say the same - cleaner and then 1 coat acrylic clear .

Thompsons Waterseal Deck Sealer Transparent Waterproofing Stain Review

Indeed, there is not such a thing as a maintenance free deck! I'd like to rejuvenate it with some sort of penetrating stain.

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On the surface, composite materials look mighty un-"green" with lots of unpronounceable chemicals, some of which can be highly toxic. So, are you trading convenience for some sort of health or ecological disaster when you select composite decking materials? But, neither are composites especially environmentally friendly. Capstock deck boards, with their plastic shell, fade less than uncapped composite boards. Most will fade a little bit because the exposed material is plastic, the fading is minimal.

If You See Green, It's Time To Clean: Even Composite Decking Requires Regular Care

So unless some sort of anti-fungal material is added, wood flour can be a very attractive home for mold and mildew. Manufacturers caution in their care instructions that keeping the deck free of pollen and debris that may be food sources for mold is important to assuring a mold-free deck. What they forget to tell you is that the wood flour itself is a food source for mold. So, if it is not protected, or the protection wears off, your composite deck becomes a giant smorgasbord for many species of mold and mildew no matter how clean you keep it. When composite deck manufacturers compare their products to wood decks, they always compare to unsealed wood decks. Generally, a sealed and maintained wood deck lasts about as long as a maintained composite deck.

How To Paint Composite Decking

Rinsing is required so care should be taken to not use hard water for this purpose, and if it must be used, dry with a cloth or use a blower to dry surfaces. A deck cleaner like the Restore A Deck Cleaner.

Choose an appropriate stain and sealer , such as the BEHR Premium Solid Color Weatherproofing All-in-One Wood stain & sealer, to begin the application process. Use either a quality pad applicator, brush, roller or sprayer to apply the stain and sealer evenly over the whole composite surface. Again, follow the instructions on the product label for best results. With a few household chemicals, you can easily clean your deck as you prep to paint. For basic debris and dirt cleaning, use a soapy water mixture and a low pressure power washer or soft bristle brush. For removing mildew and mold, you’ll want to mix in two parts vinegar and one part water into a bucket and sprinkle some baking soda on the infected areas.