Cleaning Softwood Decking

Most people that install wooden decking like it looking it's best for the summer and worry about it becoming slippery in the winter. Regular decking maintenance will keep your decking looking good and useable all year round. Cleaning your decking Keeping any debris and piles of leaves off your deck is essential all year round. A regular sweep with a broom goes a long way towards keeping your deck in good condition and will also help to prevent algae growth. However, it is best to clean your decking every spring using a decking cleaner, ideally with a jetwash. Pretreating any areas of algae with a mould and mildew cleaner before jetwashing is helpful. If you don't have a jet washer, then a stiff broom with hot water, decking cleaner and some elbow grease will also work nicely. Treating your decking After you have cleaned your deck, it's important to retreat and protect it with a good quality decking oil. The oil will repel water and reduce splitting & cracking and help to keep your deck looking good all summer. To keep the timber looking more natural, we recommend using a clear or Light Oak Decking Oil. Don't forget you should also use the oil on your balustrading and newel posts too. I have found that two coats of oil are usually needed. Anti Slip If you are finding that certain areas are consistently slippery, you can add Anti Slip Plates which simply screw onto the top of the decking or Anti Slip Inserts which glue into the decking grooves. Both types are ideal on steps or ramps to provide a bit of extra traction in the winter months. Whenever you are using new products on your deck it's important to read the instructions carefully and try the product on a small inconspicuous area first before applying to your whole deck. If you need any more advice about cleaning your decking then feel free to get in touch with our friendly team.