Ultimate Guide to Maintaining & Cleaning Your Composite Decking

Knowing the types you have before you for maintenance and cleaning

First lets identify which composite decking type and generation you have as this will determine how much and what you use to clean your composite deck with.

First Generation to know about cleaning

Another great garden decking idea is to add ground-level decking to a flat part of your garden. Laying the decking at different levels will create an attractive look. You can integrate both the raised and ground-level decking into your garden.the classic and most composite decking sold in the U.K. the top surface is developed with wood fibres, why this matter, well with cleaning like anything with wood in it can regular simply cleaning is require to stop alge, mould and mildew. Yes first generation composite can get mould and mildew if dirt, debris and water is left for prolong periods on your deck.If this has occur jump to our deep clean and ways you can remove mould and mildew.

Second generation to know about cleaning

Know as capped, shield, protected these board are the ultimate performing boards when comes longevity and low maintenance. As mentioned across our site these boards are manufactured with a thin plastic layer that covers the whole boards, this resistance moisture and this is the key when comes cleaning and maintaining, as they resist mostiure, they aren’t breeding ground mould and mildew but they can still get algae and there stain resistance no proof, so cleaning is required to ensure you keep your enhanced look.

Maintaining Your Composite Decking

Makes sense start with maintaining first as if you searching or just purchase if you follow some our maintain tips we learnt over the years you decrease level and amount cleaning or maintenance you during the product service lift, lets take a look below.

Maintenance starts after installation

Once your composite decking is installed, we recommend checking all the following key points:

Check the Gradient	Check gaps	Check the flex
There should be no water pooling or any area which holds water on your deck, you can run a quick test by pouring or using a garden hose to ensure the water runs off your deck smoothly and effectively, any area that water sits, please discuss this with your fitter or re-check your installation process.	Checking the gaps is key, no gaps lead to issues in the future- please go around your deck and check the gap end to end is 6mm and side to side is 3mm, if it isn’t please then discuss with your fitter or revisit your installation guide.	when working on your decking boards check for any flex or bounce with the boards this is a clear giveaway that the joist centres aren’t at 300mm and this needs checking urgently.

Ok so once these checked what else should you know and do to reduce amount or cleaning and keep you deck look its best.

Knowledge thats reduces maintain and cleaning

Preventing and reducing risk of Mould & Mildew?

Preventing and reducing risk of Mould & Mildew?

Despite the fact composite decking has resistant qualities to mould and mildew due to its composition, which ensures a reduction in moisture absorption; composite boards can still experience growth of mould and mildew when the accumulation of leaves and debris build up on the boards. When debris, such as leaves, fall onto the deck and pile up, this creates a barrier on the deck surface, which traps the moisture and heat in an insulating layer. Mould and bacteria thrive within these conditions and, in turn, are more likely to grow when left on your decking.

Therefore, the location of your decking is important to consider in the maintenance of your composite decking. For example, if you place your decking under trees and bushes, you will need to clean your decking more regularly. Mould is not only an eye sore but will also damage and weaken your composite boards, which can lead to the costly and time-consuming process of having to replace or reinstall boards.

As stated above, regular checking of the condition of your decking boards is important, as mould can spread and ultimately damage multiple boards if left untreated. In most cases, mould and mildew can be simply cleaned with hot soapy water and a soft bristle brush. For tougher stains, you can attempt to use a vinegar and baking soda solution, resorting to stronger products such as Compo Clean if all else fails.
Avoid water standing on my decking?

Avoid water standing on my decking?

Composite decking is a water-resistant material, but this does not mean it won’t absorb moisture if fully submerged in water. Composite decking repels more water than wood but is not completely waterproof. To properly care for your composite decking, avoid any build up of water on the deck surface and ensure water drains off the deck easily.

Pro tip: Always sand lightly in the direction of the grooves to avoid damaging the board texture.
Clean any Food from your Decking Immediately

Clean any Food from your Decking Immediately

Most homeowners use their decking as an outdoor eating area, especially in the summer months. Food particles on your deck surface can make it look less attractive and cause staining. It can even cause stains and the growth of mould to grow on your deck. Whenever you have your meal on your deck, ensure you don’t leave food scraps on the deck. Check around and clean away any food scraps to prevent mould growth.

Pro tip: Always sand lightly in the direction of the grooves to avoid damaging the board texture.
Avoid Scratches on the Decking

Avoid Scratches on the Decking

When there are scratches on your decking, it can distort the decking’s appearance. Scratches can also be difficult to fix on composite decking. Although composite decking is a quality material, it is still prone to scratches. Avoid dragging items such as furniture and BBQs over your decking or placing objects with sharp edges on your composite decking in order to protect the decking surface.
Remove Oil and Grease Stains

Remove Oil and Grease Stains

Another composite decking maintenance tip is to remove stains on the decking surface. Homeowners using their decking as a cooking and dining area should always check for grease stains. If you notice an oil or grease stain on the decking surface, clean it immediately. Remove the grease stain with vinegar and baking soda. Use the baking soda and vinegar mixture to gently scrub the affected area with a decking brush.
Get Rid of Leaves

Get Rid of Leaves

A build-up of dead leaves and twigs on your composite decking traps moisture leading to mould and bacteria growth on the composite boards. It is important to remove leaves and twigs to avoid this from occurring, as mould can stain and damage your decking.

Pro tip: Always sand lightly in the direction of the grooves to avoid damaging the board texture.
Avoid Using Bleach

Avoid Using Bleach

To care for your composite decking, avoid the use of bleach. Chlorine bleach can fade the colour of your composite decking and damage its structural integrity. If you want to clean your composite decking, use a mild composite decking cleaner. Ammonia-free liquid dishwashers, vinegar, and baking soda are examples of cleaners you can use on your composite decking. Mould can attack your decking material; when this happens, most homeowners turn to bleach to get rid of the moulds.

To care for your composite decking, avoid the use of bleach. Chlorine bleach can fade the colour of your composite decking and damage its structural integrity. If you want to clean your composite decking, use a mild composite decking cleaner. Ammonia-free liquid dishwashers, vinegar, and baking soda are examples of cleaners you can use on your composite decking. Mould can attack your decking material; when this happens, most homeowners turn to bleach to get rid of the moulds. When you want to remove moulds from your composite decking, avoid using bleach, as it is too harsh for composite material and will damage your surface finish. Additionally, bleach will not remove mould from porous surfaces such as composite. As bleach is corrosive to metals, you will not only damage your composite boards but risk corroding any metal fasteners. This will affect the structural integrity of your decking, leading to decking collapse and possible injury.
Avoid Placing Hot Objects on Your Decking

Avoid Placing Hot Objects on Your Decking

Placing a hot object on decking can distort its appearance. If you plan to use your decking area as a kitchen, avoid placing hot objects directly on the deck’s surface. Grills and BBQs can damage or create dents on the decking surface. Remember that composite decking differs from wood, as it is made from recycled plastic and wood fibres. Hot objects placed directly on the surface will distort or dent your decking.

Please Note:A garden hose with a quick sweep using a soft brush will be more than enough to keep your deck looking as good as new.

How clean composite decking

Now we have understand the why and what you can expect out of each board type from a maintenance points like look at how to do the basic and regularly cleaning need to keep your composite decking looks its best:

Step 01:

Remove all furniture from you deck

Step 02:

Filling bucket water up (standard household bucket), you can use some dishwasher liquid free from anmmonia, as filling up with luke warm water add 2 to 3 squids of house dishwater liquid and continue filling to mix to make soap water as you would do with a mop and bucket.

Step 03:

Remember a soft brush (like a soft brush clean car with is what we use for reference) dip in the bucket of hot soapy water and simply clean away.

Step 04:

Give it a good scruff go over areas that need threw scrubs of course.

Step 05:

Worse done and happy you have got your hard to reach places and slightly tough marks are gone, simply horse down or use a power washer on a spray setting and don’t go up close, basically best discrible is iif power washer car you would put it on the highest setting and right up close as you damage same rule applies.

Now if do this regularly you wont have any deep cleaning our touch marks to get, so what happens if you left it all winter and year?

A long waited clean of your composite decking

If you left you deck for some time without cleaning it regular around once a months, then you will have marks, dirt, debre and just like example of a car if you left car to clean once a year or even twice its going be a longer process, however in most cases its can still be brought back to life like in the video should you here following the steps above.

Decking tiles are a great alternative to traditional decking boards for garden design
They can make your garden visually stand out and feel unique.
Homeowners have the flexibility to choose from various decking patterns.
Deck tiles can be aligned: Horizontally, Vertically, Or in other creative layouts (e.g., diagonal, herringbone

Deep Clean OF Your Composite Decking

You now followed all the process we shared but you still left with marks or scratches what can you do? Will this is where some long term tips we learnt have kicked in and below here is some of the success we seen over years.

Using Vinegar

Despite being a well-known cleaning ingredient, many still doubt whether they should use vinegar or not. The truth is, while it’s very effective, it’s not a suitable cleaning substitute for all materials. But for composite decking, it is generally safe to use vinegar. But note

You also don’t want vinegar on your decking for long periods of time. The reason behind this is that vinegar contains acid. That’s the main reason why it can remove stains. But if you leave it out on your decking for a prolonged period, the acid can potentially remove the colour of your decking. Some people even use vinegar to turn their decking into a weathered state. So let it soak for few minutes then get it up. When we wrote this this was something and ask that got us thinking using vingar is safe but letting sit on your deck isn’t so we wanted know how long can it sit and we done video showing this, result first generation it will tain if left there beyond 30mins, capped with its stain resistance properties even after 24 hours no stain and long ask use question why would you do that?

Simply apply vinger over the area stain or mark let it sit for few miniutees and get it a scruff, once done water thoroughly with hot soapy water a few times this should get rid of it mark or stain in most cases.

Using baking soda

Baking soda is also a good cleanser for composite decking. Cleaning your deck with baking soda is safe. Baking soda is not a harsh substance that can damage composite decking. When using baking soda to wash a composite board, sprinkle some baking soda on the decking. After sprinkling it on the decking surface, you can now scrub the decking with a soft bristle brush and rinse clean thoroughly. Success been great this and vingar are get for stubborn stains.

Using the together (note reword and test)

The combine method using vingar and baking soda together must be done correctly, other wise the two will neutralise each other.

For the most successful way use a baking soda paste, its safe and an effective option. Follow this two-step process:

Create a thick paste using baking soda and a small amount of water and apply it directly to the stain. Let it sit for 15-20 minutes. The baking soda will act as a gentle support to lift the stubborn stain.
After letting it sit, lightly spray the paste with white vinegar. The fizzing reaction will help to lift the stain from the board’s texture.
Gently scrub the area with a soft-bristle brush and then rinse the deck thoroughly with clean water.

Pro tip: WAlways test any cleaning solution including vinegar or baking soda on a small, hidden area of your decking first. This ensures it won’t discolor or react with your specific board type, especially on first-generation
composite decking.

Guide to Repair and removing scruff and marks

When comes to removing or repairing composite decking board there are several ways in which you can do this but first its important to understand what type composite decking you have as this can make or break in the success or removing or repairing you boards.

First generation boards

Grooved finish

The first-generation grooved board is probably the easiest board from which to remove a scratch, scuff and marks. Try using stainless-steel wool or fine sandpaper to lightly go over the scratch in the direction of the grooves. Be careful not to press too hard when using this method, we recommend using light pressure only. This can lighten the colour of the board over time; however, the board will weather over time and the lighter colour may not be as apparent.

Pro tip: Always sand lightly in the direction of the grooves to avoid damaging theboard texture.

Wood grain finish:

On a first-generation wood grain board, the above method can also be used. However, this can result in buffing away the wood grain texture and removal of colour. The colour can be brought back using a composite colour reviver. When using a colour reviver, use a small paint brush only on the affected area. This may not be a perfect fix and may require time for the board to weather for the area to blend with the rest of the board.

Second generation boards

Pro tip: Always sand lightly in the direction of the grooves to avoid damaging the board texture.

Using heat Guns:

As capped boards aren’t a wood fibre based surface wire brush and other methods will only damage the surface further, you best way of removing or repairing scratches, scruff and marks is by using a heat gun. This is one of the most effective ways to eliminate the scratches on a second-generation composite decking board, however, this also requires a lot of practice.

Failing to do this properly, will result in permanently damaging your boards with burn marks. To begin removing the scratches, find the marks and heat them using the heat gun. Be careful not to hold the gun too close or hold this on the mark for too long. Once the area has been heated; this may leave some areas darker, these can disappear after a few weeks of natural fading.

If you feel more comfortable using an already made repair kit, these are available. The repair kits use wax fillers, applying the wax and rubbing into place. Remove any excess wax quickly.

To touch up scratches and marks, you can use a composite repair marker pen, use like a pen to go over the scratch, this method is less effective in creating a seamless finish.

Using Magic Eraser:

Another method that many suggest is using a Magic Eraser or melamine foam. Melamine foam sponges have micropores that trap even the most persistent stains. However, due to their abrasiveness, they can damage composite decking if used too harshly. It can remove the grain patterns and textures from your decking boards. They do work when used correctly, if you rub too hard and too much you will damage your board.

For best results simply rub softly and slowly and continue clean away as you do this. See the video for visually details.

Other tips and prevention

Decking Repair Kits:

Another option that you can try is to use decking repair kits. They are often composed of fillers, either wax or epoxy-based, applied directly to the cuts and scratches. Lastly, some suppliers advised using a wood stains that match the colour of your decking, to reduce or remove marks or scratches, however from testing this does apply to a first generation composite board but after several months start to flake.

Prevention Methods:

Ideally, you will not have to fix any markings from your decking surface if you prevent them from occurring in the first place. You can protect your decking from marks by using rugs or mats. Placing them on areas of your decking that experience the highest footfall can prevent scuff marks from shoes and high heels. Choosing lightweight furniture will also help to prevent scuff marks on your decking. Use rubber furniture pads on the legs of your furniture to protect the deck surface.

Although not recommended, stains or sealants can be used on your composite decking to prevent marks from occurring or to attempt to resolve a mark that has already been made. However, this is a risky solution, as you will need to ensure the stains are the same colour as your decking, which can be a difficult process.

Avoid using Abrasive Cleaners & Bleach:

While useful for cleaning various surfaces, chlorine bleach is harmful to composite decking and other plastic materials. It will remove the stains but can also remove the colour of your decking. Beach is known for removing pigment, using this on a colour composite decking will strip the colour, leaving a permanent white spot and almost faded look as seem in the image Bleach does not kill mould on porous surfaces such as wood and composite decking. So, not only will it be counterproductive in the attempt at killing mould, it can also damage the decking surface.

Bleach is a corrosive to metal meaning not only will above happen it could also rust the metal clips connecting boards to your joists, this could over time weaken the structure.

Chlorine bleach is the most common bleach sold in shops used to remove stains within your home. It is also known as Sodium Hypochlorite (household bleach). If there is a stain on your composite decking, you may be tempted to use bleach but more often than not, a stain on composite decking can be cleaned with just dishwasher soap and a soft bristle brush.

Depending on the boards you are using, other chemicals, such as Acetone, can also be abrasive. For more information, contact and consult your board’s manufacturers

Do Not Sand Your Decking:

Unlike wood, you can’t sand composite decking to remove stains. Depending on the type of composite decking, sanding can ruin the top surface or capping of the composite boards, leaving them exposed to elements.

Conclusion

There are different garden ideas for decking that you can implement. Whether your garden is levelled or uneven, you can incorporate decking into your garden to make it more appealing. You can build a raised or detached decking or use different decking colours. Apart from that, you can also install decking tiles and try laying a new decking pattern.

Customer FAQs

1Can you use Vinegar & Baking Soda?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.
2Should I Brush Away Dirt and Debris?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.
3Can I remove bird droppings from my decking?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.
4How often should I clean my decking?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.
5Can I put a BBQ on my deck?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.
6How much does it cost to fit composite decking per m2?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.

1Can you use Vinegar & Baking Soda?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.
2Should I Brush Away Dirt and Debris?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.
3Can I remove bird droppings from my decking?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.
4How often should I clean my decking?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.
5Can I put a BBQ on my deck?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.
6How much does it cost to fit composite decking per m2?

Bird droppings can create a mess with your composite decking. It would help if you immediately cleaned any bird droppings you noticed on your composite decking. When removing bird poop from your decking, you need to be careful. Remove the excrement with care to avoid scratching your composite decking. Do not use any sharp objects to scrape the faeces off your decking.

You can remove bird droppings away from a composite decking yourself by first rinsing the decking with water to soften the excrement. After rinsing your decking with water,
get a brush and use it to scrub the decking surface gently. You can also add a liquid dishwasher to the decking and scrub lightly till the stains are gone.

Ensure you scrub the decking thoroughly to remove all traces of bird droppings. After doing that, use a garden hose to rinse the entire decking.

Everything You Need to Know About Composite Decking Maintenance

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