Rhino Hide® How To Clean Mold From A Composite Deck

Ask The Carpenter: Removing Algae From A Composite Deck

The decking needs to be cleaned at least 3 times per year to control the mold. We have had our trex for many years and it molds every year. You have to be very careful not to get to close or you will shred the decking. I like the product but would only use it if you have no shade. I went the same way, extruded aluminum and removed my TREX. There was nothing wrong with the Trex but it was not properly shielding the area below the deck from water penetration. Yes, it’s can be scratched with something that scratches but there is a touch-up kit that quickly repairs the surface.

Hire A Deck Builder

1500psi is the recommended maximum for TimberTech products. A fan tip nozzle should be used along with the proper cleaning product. Spray in the direction of the brush/grain pattern to avoid damaging your decking. Use caution not to damage the material and always take the proper safety precautions when operating a power washer. Do not use a pressure washer higher than 1,500 PSI or spray any closer than 12 inches (30.48 centimeters) from the surface when cleaning Trex products. If you use higher PSI or spray closer than the required limit, you could cause irreversible damage to the deck and void your warranty. A basic car/rv/boat biodegradable soap is best because they are generally designed to come into contact with plastic and metal without damaging.

Always read and follow the product manufacturer’s specific instructions before using any product on your TimberTech deck. Although TimberTech products are low-maintenance, we recommend periodic cleaning to help maintain the beauty of the product. ReliaBoard and DockSider are composite products, and cleaning is NOT the same as for capped composite products such as TimberTech PRO and EDGE Collections.

The cap contains Alloy Armour Technology® and uses no wood particles. That means AZEK Decking has almost no risk of hosting or growing mold or mildew. Most homeowners know that finding mold inside their homes is a huge hassle and potentially very scary; however, if it’s outdoors, is it a big deal?

How To Remove Mold From Deck In 3 Simple Steps

My neighbor used it on her composite deck disaster last fall and it still looks good-no mold, no stains. It fared better than mine over the winter, having used sealer and cleaner. I am going to use her deck as the "guinea pig" and see how the McCloskey stain holds up over time. It was painstaking for them to carefully stain it, but they had no maintenance to do this spring/summer other than blowing the debris off with a leaf blower. I would not recommend Timbertech as the product requires an excessive amount of maintenance. In the spring the dirt and mold spots will not come off without vigorous scrubbing with a cleaning solution. I have friends who have Trex, etc. and they clean much easier.

I am sad for all who have the same problems-but please be persistant and keep bugging Trex, your contractor, or store you bought it from-it may help in the end. I installed a Trex deck and screened porch in 2003. Have had problems with it crowning, cracking at the ends of the boards and, of course, constant mold spots. I have tried Corte Clean and Concrobium Mold Eraser with limited success.

However, if you do use a pressure washer, set it between psi and hold the nozzle at least 8 in from the surface of the deck. Stiff brooms might etch your wood or composite decking over time.

These are the only products most contractors can get so of course they’re going to say they’re good. We purchased our current home, as new, nearly 18 years ago. It came with a deck that was made with early type (uncapped?) composite decking. The spindles and posts were also made of the same material. The home builder was so impressed by the product he wished that he had used it for the large deck, he had recently built, on his own home. I was excited about having something touted as being “maintenance free.” Over the years I have power washed it to keep the vegetation (moss? algae?) at bay.

How To Stain Your Deck 4 6

If you’ve founds some winners here then share them with us. For me, I’m not comfortable trusting the same companies who told us 20 years ago that their product was foolproof and failed that now they’ve REALLY made it foolproof. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. It’s not wood, so it shouldn’t be expanding and moving the same, right? It actually moves more AND more unexpectedly than wood decks. Some composite decking won’t move a bit and others have been found to shrink, swell, warp, twist, bow, and any other word you want to use in amounts unheard of, even with wood. Again, it seems completely random when this happens, but it happens often enough that you should know about it.

How To Clean Composite Decking

It is the best solution for seasonal cleanup, everyday spills, or stubborn spots. On average, one gallon diluted with one part cleaner to three parts water will clean approximately 1,000 square feet of surface area.

Two products tested were General Purpose Staticide® and Heavy Duty Staticide®. Both are effective in greatly reducing static electricity on Trex decking surfaces. Apply full strength using a mop on a dry decking surface, and allow to dry; no rinsing or diluting needed.

This is an entire weekend job with lots of scrubbing and the power washer. Never mind that we are in drought ridden California and I'm wasting precious water to clean an inferior product. Around June or July when I see there will be several dry days in a row, I use the very expensive stuff. It takes one day of cleaning, another day to dry, and then I apply the Restorer to make the deck more waterproof. This seems to prolong the time between reappearance of mold black spots.

• Mold and mildew can sometimes make composite deck boards slippery, so use caution and wear good shoes while cleaning.
• Mold problems began one year later and has spread ever since.
• The client cleaned the deck with the Trex recommended deck cleaner and it stayed clean for about a week.
• I installed 500 sf of Trex Accents Saddle composite decking for a client in April of 2013.
• Mold and mildew aren’t just an eyesore, they can be hazards to your health and can even shorten the life span of many composite deck boards.
• Use these tips to remove mold and mildew stains from your deck boards.

If it’s an older composite deck that’s absorbing water, you can use our DEFY Extreme Composite Deck Sealer. To make sure it’s able to be sealed just sprinkle a few drops of water on the deck. If the water just beads on the surface, then you shouldn’t apply a sealer as it won’t soak in. Keep in mind it’s a clear sealer so it may not hide the scuff marks. Melissa, you’ll have to check with Thompson’s, but most likely not. Most stain manufacturers recommend removing previous coatings as they will prevent the new coating from penetrating into the wood pores.

Take a look at some of the websites where homeowners have posted their reviews, and you’ll read 1 and 2 star reviews all day long. Environmentally friendly cleaners will have a green label or designation to identify them from others. Industrial Paints and Plastics, with a few locations in this area, are a good, knowledgeable source of cleaning products. You can get environmentally friendly cleaning products and spray or brush them on your desk for a fast and easy cleaning process. Hard water is water with a high amount of mineral deposits like lime, silica and calcium. When the water dries, deposits are left behind, leaving unsightly spots on surfaces. This is not a defect of Trex products but an issue with the water itself.