How to keep your Ekodeck clean and looking great
Being a composite board, Ekodeck does not need the routine oiling, painting or sealing that timber does to keep it protected from the elements. The specialised formula in the boards is naturally weather resistant, ensuring your deck does not splinter, cup or twist over time, and it will maintain its colour for the life of the deck.
However, being an outdoor building material – more so one that is often exposed to the elements and has foot (and paw) traffic over it on a daily basis, it will require occasional cleaning to keep your deck looking as good as the day it was laid.
We recommend performing a General Clean at least once a year, as outlined for your range of Ekodeck below.
Ekodeck Classic General Clean
This is done by giving your decking a good scrub with hot soapy water (dish soap such as Morning Fresh is perfectly fine) using a stiff bristled brush. This loosens and removes any dirt and dust which can become embedded in the grain of the boards.
Once that is complete, we recommend giving your Ekodeck Classic decking a thorough rinse using a pressure washer. The key here is to use a fan spray nozzle, no greater than 2000psi and to maintain a minimum of 30cm from the decking boards so as not to damage them.
For best results, go over your decking boards in a consistent manner, slightly overlapping your last pass to ensure you have properly cleaned the entirety of the boards.
As seen in the below image, the deck was cleaned using a needle-point attachment with no consistency with how it was aimed. The years of dirt and dust had turned the rich Red Rock colour to look slightly faded – but rest assured that great Red Rock colour is still there! Once the general cleaning process was followed the deck looked just as good as the day it was installed!
The photo below shows the same deck after it was properly cleaned as outlined above.
Our Classic range of boards are made from approximately 50% timber, making them a semi-porous product that can absorb stains or mark – more often than not this is from oil-based foreign substances, such as BBQ fats or food.
To remove these stains, we recommend using an aerosol car engine degreaser, which are readily available from your local automotive store for just a few dollars. Spray on the affected area, give it a scrub and then follow up with an Ekodeck Classic General Clean as outlined above.
We have successfully been able to get the vast majority of stains out of our Classic boards using this approach.
An added benefit of our Classic boards is the ability to repair it, as the boards are the same composition all the way through. In the event your deck is scratched, you can easily sand along the grain of your boards using 40 grit sandpaper to remove the scratch. The same can be done for any stubborn stains should it be necessary.
Ekodeck Designer Series General Clean
If you have our Designer Series or Flame Fighter boards, scrub with warm soapy water, using a soft-bristled brush to loosen any dirt or debris to start off with. Follow this by rinsing off with a garden hose.
Be sure to push all the dirty water off the deck, as if the dirty water dries on the boards, they will need to be cleaned again.
Do not use a pressure washer on your Designer Series or Flame Fighter deck, as this can cause irreparable damage to your deck.
Our Designer Series and Flame Fighter boards have a DurashellTM coating made out of 100% polymer, protecting the composite core.
As a result, these boards differ to our Classic range in that they cannot be sanded, but they have the added benefit of the 100% polymer coating that ensures a highly stain-resistant, impermeable layer of protection for your deck. More often than not all that is needed to freshen up your deck is an Ekodeck Designer Series General Clean.
In our years of experience, we have found a few common trends when it comes to cleaning and keeping your deck looking great.
The first being exposure to the elements – contrary to what you might think, when Ekodeck is exposed to the elements, it often needs less cleaning than when undercover. The rain and UV naturally breakdown and wash away dirt and dust, which doesn’t happen to a deck which is undercover.
Another thing to consider when it comes to the cleanliness of your decking is what surrounds it – are you still in the middle of building and have un-landscaped dirt or soil nearby your deck? Do you have an unsealed road nearby? Whilst it may seem obvious, these factors contribute greatly to how clean (or dirty) your deck gets over time. If dust settles on the deck or muddy tradesman are stomping back and forth over it day in and day out, it will require a clean just like any other product in its place.
So, in summary, whilst Ekodeck doesn’t require tedious upkeep to keep it performing at its best, it will require occasional cleaning to keep it looking its best. You can find comprehensive Care & Maintenance guides for all our Ekodeck Decking ranges down below!
If you have any queries or questions – don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re always happy to help.
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