Questions About Timber Decking
Timber Decking & Cladding Association (TDCA)
Before you have Decking installed, you might have a few questions.
Here is a Link to "Timber Decking & Cladding Association (TDCA)" and their Page on Timber Deck Questions.
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www.tdca.org.uk/faq
How to Look After Your New Deck
Cleaning
Even treated wood will not look its best after a long winter and a wet spring, so a little time spent cleaning will pay dividends for the summer months.
We would recommend that you sweep your deck regularly and hose it down when dirt accumulates.
Allowing dirt and other organic matter such as leaf litter or soil to accumulate on your deck, increases the risk of fungal infection.
The organic matter could not only carry the source of fungal infection but may hinder drainage and thus provides damp conditions that they need to survive.
There are many effective cleaning agents available.
Many are useful to remove algae growth which can occur and without cleaning this could become a slip hazard.
Cleaning your deck with a pressure washer at the beginning and end of the season is a recommended course of action.
However, you must take care not to splinter the timber by getting too close.
Re-seal and protection
The finished deck should be kept clean and for good looks, resealed with a brush-on water repellent every year.
For best results ... re-apply water repellent, once the deck is dry ... after washing.
Stain
You can introduce personality by adding a coloured stain to your deck.
Stains are designed to block the greying effects of ultra violet light.
Please note, that the water repellent properties of some products means that organic solvent based stains are most suited.
Water based stains are not recommended particularly on newly fitted products as the water repellent can affect the adhesion of the stain to the timber.
This affect diminishes over time due to ware and tare.
Please bear in mind it will need regular re-staining and heavy foot traffic areas will have to be re-stained more frequently than other areas.
Always follow the manufacturer's instructions when working with decking and maintenance products.
Its always best to remove dirty marks as soon as possible using water, mild cleaner and a sponge.
In most cases your deck can be cleaned with a pressure washer combined with, if necessary, a mild cleaning product.
For food marks (such as ketchup, wine, soup, fruit juice, cola, coffee) you could scrub well with diluted bleach solution then rinse well with water.
Bleach can be a dangerous substance, so please take care and follow manufacturers instructions.
Take Care
It is advisable to regularly check for any proud shards or splinters of timber and remove should they occur for safety reasons.
What to Expect
Small surface splits can occur in all components during the warmer months.
This happens as the timber dries and shrinks.
In the winter months the splits will tend to close as the timber swells.
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