DECKING MAINTENANCE
Decking has become very popular in the last few years, it is a great way to make use of areas of the garden that wouldn’t normally be used on a regular basis. Decking can be custom built to suit your property and the surrounding garden, it can be used for entertaining, dining or sunbathing, and of course can add value to your property.
Decking is constructed from timbers such as Larch and Cedar, and although the timbers are very weather resistant and will have been pretreated with wood preserve, it will without a little maintenance start to look dirty and stained. Cleaning the decking once or twice a year will remove surface deposits that can create a slip hazard, especially during and after wet weather conditions.
To clean the decking, you can use a high pressure washer, or warm water with a little household cleaner, use a stiff brush to get any stubborn dirt, moss etc, out of the grooves in the decking timber, then rinse it down with clean water and let it dry out.
If you intend to paint over the decking with a preservative, you may have to sand the timber with a power sander to gain a clean stain free surface.
There are a wide range of wood stains / preservatives available for your decking, I prefer to use one that will soak into the timber rather than just coat it, this reduces the chance of it flaking off. I also always use one that dries with a clear finish, because I have seen decking boards that have been stained with a coloured stain, and after a few months depending on use, the colour starts wear to off the timber and it looks like it has not been maintained for years.
Try to use a good quality decking preserve i.e. Cuprinol, although brand names tend to be a little bit more expensive, in my experience, the finished results are usually very good and last longer. A little time spent maintaining your decking should ensure you get many years of use and enjoyment from it.