How To Deal With Standing Water On Decking

The primary method of preventing standing water on your decking is to install decking with a drainage slope on the subframe. Working to a degree of decline of 1% (100mm drop per 10m length) you can create an incline which is slight enough to not be noticeable and yet allow water to naturally drain off.

By using NeoTimber’s purpose-built fixings provided with our composite decking, you will automatically create a 3mm or 6mm gap between the boards, depending on whether or not you choose our stainless steel or plastic fixing clips. This gap between boards will also naturally aid in draining your boards, preventing an excess of standing water.

If you find you’re getting a large collection of standing water on your deck, the simplest way to get rid of it is to use a mop and bucket. Routine maintenance like this enables you to simply soak up the water and drain it off into a bucket to remove excess water. Towels, squeegees, and general cleaning tools will aid with clearing the water from your deck. Avoid using a hard-bristled yard broom, as this could scratch the surface of your boards. Choose a soft bristled brush instead for a gentler clean.

Apply the brush, broom or mop along the length of each deck board, paying particular attention to the grooves of the boards and shaded areas of the deck where standing water is more likely to be a regular issue. Brush surplus water to an inconspicuous area where it will not cause water staining or further damage to joists and the underlying subframe. Use a sponge to soak up the excess water and wring it away from the surface of your decking.

An issue which can affect all types of decking is standing water sitting on top of the joists. Depending on how well-ventilated the underside of your decking is, a wet subframe can rot surprisingly rapidly. When this occurs, this can cause all kinds of issues with your deck, as boards can bend, twist, and fall through into the void below. To avoid rotting of your subframe through standing water you can buy joist tape, which can be applied at the time of installation. This ensures that water simply rolls off the timber, preventing rotting of your decking subframe.

If your deck is situated where standing water is an ongoing issue, joist tape may not be a strong enough solution. Thankfully, there are alternatives to timber for your subframe and joists. NeoTimber® supply plastic lumber and composite joists, which are particularly useful in areas which regularly flood or where there is a high water table. Plastic lumber has a very low water absorption rate, making it the perfect material for our waterproof decking posts. Whilst composite joists are not 100% water-resistant, they are far more resistant to the effects of moisture than timber.