Composite Decking and mold removal

Composite Decking and Mold

Are composite decks susceptible to mold? You bet they are!

You'll notice that Composite Decking Manufacturers have stopped using “Maintenance Free”.

In today's market, they are referring to it as “Low Maintenance”. Very possibly due to active law suits against the some of the manufacturers.

Note too that they will tell you that this product, composite decking only requires cleaning about 2 times a year to keep it looking good, but not new.

Composites still are a good choice for when you or your children are likely to make skin contact with the deck, and rails . These products prove to be much easier to clean than wood, plus, you don't have the worry of discomfort from wood splinters to your hands and feet.

Composite decking is made by using plastic milk bottles, detergent containers and or grocery bags that are recycled. Then combined with wood fiber thereby producing composite decking. Being that it does have about 50% wood fibers in the manufacturing of the deck board, can attract mold.

Here are a few pictures of mold on composite decking;

Be careful too when using cleaners on the deck, it can make the deck to look powdery. They usually are acidic and can very well chemically strip the finish while killing the mold for a period of time. Pick carefully the deck cleaner you will use; Here's some products I've picked out for your consideration;

Follow these links; http://www.corteclean.com/

Most composite products cannot be sanded to remove mold or for any reason. How about pressure washing? It can clean a deck off nicely if the pressure isn't to the point of gouging the deck. So great care must be used in using pressure washing equipment. In some cases, pressure washing voids the warranty, so check the warranty first.

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