5 Ways To Damage Your Composite Deck

How To Clean Composite Decking

The product may also contain surfactants to help stave off staining. Most painted deck cleaning products come premixed and should be sprayed or squirted on, mopped lightly to clean away dirt and grime, and then wiped dry with clean, soft rags.

Decking & Railing Duos

He or she should use a relatively low pressure-setting and a wide fan, with the power washer held at least two feet off the ground. This can be a good way to deep clean your deck and get embedded dirt out, but you don’t want to have a professional power wash your deck too frequently . For the most part, you can clean your deck on a regular basis without using a power washer.

• Simply scrub the solution into the decking one section at a time and rinse.
• The best part of composites is that, with the exception of food stains, you only have to clean your deck for aesthetic reasons.
• I really like what I read about your products.
• 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?
• For wood decks, not cleaning often enough can lead to more costly maintenance.

The Composite Deck Cleaning Process

Painted wood decks, often coordinated to match the trim on a home, come with special cleaning issues. Harsh cleaners can damage the painted surface, weakening it and leading to cracking and peeling. A gentle all-purpose deck cleaner that does not contain ammonia is usually the best choice for a painted wood deck. The label should specify the cleaner is safe for painted surfaces.

Buyers Guide: The Best Deck Cleaners

Composites should be cleaned the same way as a wooden deck to remove over 90% of the black stains. Bleach will take care of the mold and mildew and the oxalic acid brightener will neutralize the tannins stains. This is the main reason they lost their first lawsuit, because they were not completely honest with the public about the black stains. It was also recommended to them that even if they used 1% wood in their formula they should recommend sealing. They used about 50% red oak and did not recommend sealing. The issue was further compounded when folks started pressure washing the surfaces and removing the cream coating which further exposed the wood content leading to more black stains. This is when they came out with “pressure washing may void the warranty” as Rob alluded too.

Design & Price

For how to clean composite decking DIY, start by spraying the deck off with a hose and water to remove any surface debris. Thankfully, composite decking is easily cleaned with the soap-and-water method or basic power washing.

Just let the machine scrub the deck while it sprays out water and soap. Then, use its water function to wash away the soap and fan function to dry the deck. Apply your composite deck cleaner.Your deck cleaner will come with detailed, specific instructions that you should follow carefully. Keeping the pressure washer under 800 psi, wash off the cleaner by going along the grain. Maintain a distance of at least 8 to 10 inches from the surface of your deck, and make sure to keep your spray moving.

Power Washing Wood Decks

To remove mold from older Trex products, the company recommends using a deck wash that includes detergent and sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as bleach. It specifically recommends Olympic Premium Deck Cleaner ($9.98 per gallon at Home Depot) and Expert Chemical’s Composite Deck Cleaner & Enhancer ($19.98 a gallon at expertchemicalinc.com). The cleaning process will go best if you select the right cleaner to begin with. I hate bleach because it kills plants and vegetation and it’s terrible to work with. It will kill the mildew spores, but doesn’t necessarily remove them from the surface of the wood.