Our composite decking comes with the reassurance of continual performance year-on-year, however we know that with a little care and attention once in a while, our boards can continue to look their sparkling best. This section will give you some handy tips on how to care for your decking…
Routine Cleaning
NeoTimber recommend a routine clean of your decking every 3-6 months to clear away dirt, mud and soil that can accumulate and sit on your boards over the course of time.
- For a general clean – we recommend applying warm soapy water to the surface of the boards and cleaning with a soft bristled brush.
- For a deeper clean – you can opt for using a jet wash with no greater than 3100 PSI to clear surface debris from your deck. Using the fan attachment, ensure that this is not applied any closer than 250mm away from the surface of the boards. Following these tips will ensure you preserve the long-term finish of the deck boards.
Regardless of which cleaning option you choose, be sure to clean along the length of the boards to avoid accumulation of material that can interfere with drainage.
Stubborn Spot Stains
For stubborn stains, such as oil and grease marks – we recommend that you use similar techniques outlined in the routine cleaning section above, as well as the advice below:
- Treat the affected area within the first 7-days.
- A water-based composite decking cleaner can be used which is designed specifically to remove oil from the surface of composite deck boards.
- If treating our Essential and Classic ranges, you may lightly sand the surface of the stained area, which will remove the surface layer of the board and lift the stain. The surface of the deck board will appear a lighter tone than the rest of the board initially, but this difference will clear over time as the boards lighten-up. Please note that the protective shell technology on our Advanced and Deluxe ranges means that they are already highly stain-resistant and must not be sanded under any circumstances.
Water Staining
Although great care is taken in the manufacturing process of our products, residual oils can remain present in our Essential and Classic traditional composite ranges, which can sometimes leach out and appear as white streaks on the surface of the deck boards. While these water stains will gradually disappear over a period of approximately 6-8 weeks when the boards are exposed to rain water, there are a few methods that you can follow to speed this process up:
- Use warm soapy water to thoroughly clean the affected boards. Again, you may wish to use a jet wash on the affected area to assist with the removal of surface residue.
- To further speed-up this process, use a composite decking brightener, which is specifically designed to remove the residual oils present in the boards.
Our Advanced and Deluxe range deck boards are protected with a polymer sleeve, which ensures the oils within its composite core do not leach-out onto the surface. This makes this type of capped composite board highly resistant to the effects of water staining.
Clearing Ice And Snow
We recommend maintaining a safe deck when the winter hits by ensuring snow and ice are thoroughly cleared from the surface. You can follow the points below to keep your decking protected from the effects of winter:
- Avoid using metal shovels, rakes, hoes and ice chippers and any other sharp objects to clear snow or ice off your deck. Instead use a plastic shovel, otherwise you run the risk of scratching or damaging the surface of the boards.
- We recommend using a salt-free, non-corrosive ice melt which is designed not to leave any residue on the surface of the boards and is generally more effective than salt-based alternatives. This can be laid either prior to a forecast frost or to areas where ice has already formed.
- While rock salt can be used on our composite decking, we advise that this is cleared away shortly after it has been applied to ensure that it does not damage or scratch the surface of the boards.
Surface Mildew And Mould Growth
While our composite deck boards are resistant to the damaging effects of both mould and mildew growth, this type of growth can occur on almost every outdoor surface and may collect on the surface of our boards. Following the steps in our routine cleaning section above will help avoid excessive build-up of such growth.
Need Further Support or Advice?
If you’ve still got questions that have not been answered here, or you would like additional advice,
support or assistance then please give one of our friendly experts a call and we’ll be happy to help.
Just give us a call on 01530 382 180.