Getting Ready for Winter? Tips on Cleaning Your Deck This Fall

Are you worried about cleaning your composite deck before winter? Don’t, it’s easy! Although composite decking is very low maintenance, cleaning is important.  An exterior deck does require a basic deck cleaning for composite decks. Ideal times to clean your composite deck are after installation and in the fall or spring.  You may purchase a composite deck cleaner at your local hardware shop.  If you prefer, you may use a combination of hot water and a soft-bristle brush.

Cleaning Dirt and Debris From Composite Decking

Dirt and grime can build up over the spring and summer months. As a result, it is important to clean your deck before heavy rain and snow set in. This will prevent your deck from deteriorating over the winter. If you leave dirt and grime on your deck, it can accumulate and allow moisture to get locked in. As a result, your deck can suffer from structural and integral damages.

For Dirt and Debris, your deck should be sprayed with a hose to remove dirt from the surface. After you remove the loose dirt and debris from your composite deck use warm, soapy water and scrub with a soft bristle brush. This will allow you to remove the dirt and debris from the crevices of the embossing pattern. A thorough cleaning will allow your deck to be able to drain and ventilate moisture, preventing buildup.

It’s important to be careful when using Chalk Lines on your deck. You must make sure you are using the right type of chalk. High-performance chalk lines are likely to discolor a composite or PVC deck, we recommend using a dust-off marking chalk-like Irwin brand in purple you can find this at www.Irwin.com. If you accidentally snap a chalk line with permanent or bright chalk immediately scrub the line with soap and hot water to remove it.

Remove Grease, Oil, Mold, or Mildew from Composite Decking

Just like with dirt and debris, it is important to remove oil, grease, mold, or mildew from your deck. Treating your deck will prevent the accumulation of these residues, protecting your deck from permanent staining and damage.

You definitely want to try to remove any Oil, Grease, or Food stains on your composite deck before the winter comes. To remove these stains spray them off with a hose and use warm soapy water with a soft bristle brush.

Mold and Mildew are always possible. Due to it feeding on biofilm you want to remove it as soon as you see it forming. Leaving mold and mildew untreated will lead to additional deck damage by the end of winter. Owners can use simple solutions on their deck to remove mildew from your deck. Just allow the solutions to set before rinsing it off. If you happen to find mildew stains, you can use a soft bristle brush to remove them.

It is not unusual to experience snow before winter even starts, especially in Michigan. So, when you need to remove Ice and Snow from your composite deck early, you should take some extra care. If you are shoveling your deck, use a plastic snow shovel. Plastic shovels reduce the risk of damaging the surface of the deck when removing hardened snow and ice. It’s safe to use rock salt or calcium chloride to melt the snow and ice from the deck surface.

Check for Signs of Rot and Decay

While cleaning your deck, it is the perfect time to check for rot and decay. Regardless of how much you winterized and sealed, decks age with time. Even if you have low-maintenance composite decking, looking for potential problems will save you in the long run. Some things that you should be looking for are:

  • Raising Nails
  • Cracked and Split Wood
  • Weathered and Warped Wood
  • Loose Planks
  • Rotting Boards
  • Shaky Railings

Outside of visually inspecting your deck, you can run a few simple tests that expose if your deck needs maintenance. For example, if you walk the entire length deck, you will be able to feel if any boards are bouncy or creaky. In addition, you should check underneath the deck. Looking under the deck can expose any mold, mildew, wood rot, and other damage.

Cleaning your deck should be a high priority this fall!


If you need help or have any questions about cleaning your deck call us at 248-478-8660.

Posted In: Deck Cleaning, Decks

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