Cleaning Composite Trex Decks

For larger surfaces, work in small sections to ensure the area stays wet the entire time. Even if you don’t have a power washer, you can still use power washer soap for cleaning. Instead of loading the cleaner into the sprayer, you can apply it with a sponge or mop. Before you can stain a deck, you need to prep and sand the surface. Sweep and wash the deck’s surface to remove all dirt, wood fibers, grease, mold, and mildew. If the surface is dirty, the stain or sealant will not stick. This condition can be decreased greatly with the use of a product call ACL Staticide®.

To maintain the beauty of your Trex® deck, a little care and cleaning goes a long way. All exterior building materials require cleaning and a Trex deck is no different. For early-generation composite products (Trex Accents®, Trex Origins®, Trex Contours®, Trex Profiles® or Trex Brasilia®), we recommend a semi-annual cleaning with a composite deck cleaner. If your deck is one of the high-performance product lines from Trex (Trex Transcend®, Trex Enhance® or Trex Select®), soap-and-water cleaning or a gentle pressure washing will do the trick. Learn how to clean and care for your composite decking by reading the information that applies to your decking product and get ready to enjoy maximum outdoor living with minimal maintenance. Even if they’ve been sealed, wood decks, especially cedar and redwood, eventually begin to dull and take on a weathered, gray appearance. Rusty streaks can also appear around screw heads or along the wood’s grain.

Composite decks on the other hand, offer a lower level of all-around maintenance – they won’t splinter and you don’t need to worry about periodic staining, painting or sealing projects. Often, the only maintenance composite decking requires is an occasional power washing. Simple Green Oxy Solve Deck and Fence Cleaner is ideal for both manual and pressure washing to lift and remove dirt and debris from the deck surface. The fast-acting foaming formula eliminates stains from mold and mildew, tree sap, pollen, oxidation, weathering and other grime. It utilizes the power of peroxide to provide high-performance cleaning without toxic or abrasive chemicals. Decks created from earlier-generation Trex products should not be pressure washed, because doing so may damage the decking materials. Instead, clean with warm, soapy water as noted above.

Cleaning Composite And Wood Decking

Removing Mold, Tree Sap And Mildew Stains On Composite Deck Railings

Choosing the correct cleaner can literally make or break your deck. When buying a cleaning product, always check the label and never use anything labeled as a Chlorine Bleach based “deck cleaner”. If the active ingredients include Sodium Hypochlorite, it contains Bleach. Chlorine bleach is very corrosive and will eat into any material it’s applied to. Eventually, it will lead to discoloration of your deck, damage the surface , and can exacerbate any mold/mildew issues that may occur. Avoid this costly mistake by choosing a non-toxic, sodium percarbonate based cleaner.

Pressure Washing Your Composite Decking

Pressure washers are ideal for removing dirt and dust from decks but shouldn’t be used to remove stains. In order to best maintain the beauty of your composite deck, it’s important to perform a semi-annual cleaning. Decking materials are extremely susceptible to mold, mildew, stains, and general weathering. It’s important to know how to clean your deck in a way that will not damage or ruin your composite deck. This guide will teach you how to protect your investment by cleaning your deck materials in an efficient and easy manner. Oxygen bleach or powdered oxygen laundry cleaner is safe for use on wood decks and useful in removing mold or spores.

• Choosing the correct cleaner can literally make or break your deck.
• If the active ingredients include Sodium Hypochlorite, it contains Bleach.
• Once mold has stained has occurred, it can be extremely hard to remove.
• If you have to pressure wash your composite deck, remember to keep it at the lowest pressure possible and no closer than eight inches from the deck surface.
• In most cases, a garden hose is sufficient for regular cleaning.

If you prefer to pressure wash your Trex decking, that’s fine. But, the pressure washer cannot be greater than 3100 psi or it could damage the decking, which would void the Trex warranty. To clean with a pressure washer, first spray your deck with commercial pressure washer soap. (Buy some now on Amazon.) Next, scrub each board with a soft-bristle brush. Finally, rinse each board thoroughly, using a pressure washer fan tip that’s no closer than eight inches from the surface. The best way to clean mildew and mold from composite decking is by using the soap-and-water method mentioned in the previous chapter. Over time, your composite decking or porch will probably need to be cleaned from common problems such as mold, dirt, food and beverage stains, etc.

How To Treat Stains On Your Outdoor Deck

These cleaners are usually sprayed on, worked into the grain with a deck brush for even coverage, and then rinsed off with a garden hose. All-purpose wood deck cleaners contain detergents to dissolve surface dirt, spills, and grime. They’re available pre-mixed or in concentrated crystal or liquid form . The cleaners are typically applied to the decking with a sprayer or deck brush, spread evenly with a mop, and then rinsed off with a garden hose.

Are Pressure Washers Safe For Composite Deck Railings?

Even if it appears clean, it is important to prevent build-up of pollen/debris. Mildew stains may occur where moisture, pollens, and/or dirt are present.

Sure, you could raze the deck completely, getting rid of all of that moldy, mildewed wood, recycling it and making it someone else's problem, and then start all over again by building a new one. But that's not always possible, nor is it the best or most feasible choice. If this is the year you’re going to restore and refinish your deck, then the first step you’re going to need to take is cleaning it. As many people are becoming more environmentally conscious with their shopping habits, you may wish to avoid some of the more common chemical-based deck cleaners.