Decking is the surface most likely to catch someone out, because it is smooth, often shaded, and holds a film of algae in the grooves where you cannot see it.
Timber
Softwood decking is easily furred up by too much pressure, which raises the grain and makes it hold more water than before. Low pressure, correct product and working with the grain is the way.
This guide sits under our Pressure Washing work, covering 20-mile radius of Plymouth.
Composite
Composite boards do go green - the myth that they do not causes a lot of falls. They clean well, but abrasive pads and high pressure permanently mark the embossed surface.
The grooves and the gaps
Most of the biological load sits in the board grooves and the gaps between boards. Clearing those gaps also restores drainage, which is what slows the growth coming back.
Questions we get on this
- Can you re-oil the deck afterwards?
- We clean; oiling is best done by you or a decorator once the timber is fully dry.
- How long until it is dry?
- Usually a day in good weather, longer for shaded or dense hardwood boards.
- Will cleaning make it grip again?
- Removing the algae film restores most of the grip a deck ever had.
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