trex_moldIn the past xv years there has been a substantial amount of composite decking products to striking the market. Some of the more popular are Trex, Azek, and TimberTech. Composite decking is a mixture of recycled plastic and wood fibers. They were designed initially to be maintenance gratuitous with no need for cleaning and or an awarding of a sealer/wood stain.

The manufacture has since changed from "maintenance free" to" "depression maintenance" due to the many issues with mold and mildew. There have been class action lawsuits from this but the fact remains that at that place is no such thing every bit "maintenance free" when information technology comes to horizontal exterior surfaces. It does not matter what the substrate is, all volition need periodic cleaning and or sealer.

The question is how should I maintain my Trex or Composite Deck so that it looks skilful continuously? Well information technology is an fairly like shooting fish in a barrel process and should be done whenever the mold/mildew becomes noticeable. Failure to clean ASAP could result in the mold spores never coming clean!

Nosotros do non suggest bleach for cleaning blended woods. While it does assistance remove the mold and mildew, information technology can lighten the wood fibers of the wood in the decking, bleaching out the color. It is best to employ a composite deck cleaner that contains sodium percarbonate as the principal ingredient. Sodium Percarbonate is registered past the EPA equally a mold and mildew remover. It is a very effective chemic and is essentially harmless when it comes in contact with humans and vegetation.

  1. Clean off decking and remove all furniture 20+ feet away from decking.
  2. Utilize either the Defy Wood Cleaner or the Restore-A-Deck products. Both incorporate sodium percarbonate and additional surfactants that aid the procedure of cleaning exterior wood and decking. Both are powdered concentrates.
  3. Mix cleaner in a bucket with water. Warm water if possible will work better. Follow the directions as to how much cleaner you should add per gallon of water.
  4. Apply the cleaner with a pump sprayer or scrub bush. We advise doing sections of 100-200 square feet at a time.
  5. Using a scrub brush or pressure level washer, lightly launder off cleaner, dirt, grime, mold, mildew, and algae. Repeat if needed.
  6. When washed thoroughly rinse all decking, house and vegetation.
  7. Optional: Application of a clear water repellent will minimize the mold growth. Information technology is a very easy step. We propose the SuperSeal-M Water Repellent. Information technology applies with pump sprayer and volition not alter the appearance at all one time dried.

*Update: Another popular selection for protection is the Defy Extreme Clear. This product offers even better protection as it contains "zinc oxide". Zinc oxide combats the growth of mold and mildew. In addtion the Defy Extreme Clear volition "raise" the color of the composite wood just slightly, restoring some colour back into faded blended woods decking.

Keeping up with the cleaning of your composite deck is essential! It will keep the wood looking better and is healthier selection for people who have allergies.

If y'all have whatsoever questions delight use the grade below.