How To Repair Trex Decking

If you decide not to seal the deck, you will most likely need to plan on cleaning it again every year or so. For composite decking, don’t use a wood deck cleaner—rather, choose one specialized for composite lumber. If your deck is one of the high-performance product lines from Trex a gentle pressure washing without use of composite deck cleaner will work.

Preserve Your Deck

In some cases, additional scrubbing with a deck brush may be required to remove stubborn stains. If your deck is constructed of older trex composite decking (prior to mid-2000) then you have probably have experienced constant appearance of unsightly mold & mildew. Many of the older composite lumber products were made without any type of mildewcide included in their composition. This causes unsightly black mold spots to develop rapidly. Composite decking material is made up of a combination of both plastics & wood fiber. The wood fiber is similar to saw dust, which creates a food source for mold & mildew to grow during periods of higher temperatures & moisture.

Buyers Guide: The Best Deck Cleaners

Now that a little time has passed and some research has been done, these expansive claims are just not holding up. 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.

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Trex Decks can last a lifetime and will maintain their quality but sometimes they show their age. One of the best ways to care for your deck is to clean it regularly - don’t let it get past the point of no return. Another way of maintaining a clean composite deck is after the cleaning is complete to apply a water sealer made specifically for composite decking. Surface Saver utilizes synthetic resins that offer no food value for future stain growth. It also contains siloxane nano particles, which will form a bond with the composite surface to delay the reaccumlation of mold & mildew. We spray the sealer then brush it into the wood, which creates a friction on the surface, which allows the active ingredients to penetrate deep into the pores of the wood. Once your composite trex decking is sealed with Surface Saver, you will have done a lot to help manage the problem of future staining from mold & mildew.

Maintain a distance of at least 8 to 10 inches from the surface of your deck, and make sure to keep your spray moving. On the plus side, most composite manufacturers use waste wood products as filler, primarily sawmill waste but also post-consumer recycled wood products such as used wood pallets.

If your composite deck seems to develop stains rapidly we recommend application of Surface Saver Sealer. Surface Saver is a siloxane sealer, which will not change the natural appearance of the composite, & helps reduce frequent stains. It also helps if you sweep or blow off dirt and debris like leaves off the composite surface frequently to avoid stains. Over time the composite material accumulates organic stains from exposure to dirt and debris.

• The cleaner is used conjunction with a high volume, low-pressure wash to rinse away dirt, grime, mold, mildew and other stains.
• A gentle cleaning solution formulated specifically for cleaning composite materials is required.
• Most composite decking manufacturers recommend cleaning biannually using composite friendly cleaning agents and cleaning techniques.
• Only a professional pressure washing company in Oakland County, Michigan should clean composite decking.

First, you want a water-based sealer as opposed to a solvent. These are easier to work with and have two main advantages over solvent-based materials. Solvent-based products, or alkyds, will typically amber the color of the surface; many of the water-based products are crystal clear and will not alter the color of the wood. The alkyd resins in solvent-based products will also serve as a food source for mold, mildew, and algae (what you’re trying to eliminate). Some water-based products utilize synthetic resins, which offer no food value for future mildew growth. Lastly, selecting a product with zinc nano-particles is especially beneficial. Zinc is a natural combatant to mold growth and will have a profound effect on delaying the re-growth of mildew.

How To Clean A Trex Composite Deck

Follow these simple steps to clean mold on composite decking (cleaning Trex®). If your deck is constructed of older composite decking (installed prior to mid-2000), then you probably know what a big problem unsightly mildew growth has become. Though bleach will not damage the structure of the deck the way it will with wood and vinyl decks, it could lighten the surface of your composite deck. This is true for products that contain acid as well.