Clean and properly maintain wooden decking

A wooden terrace will only remain beautiful for a long time if it is thoroughly cleaned and cared for on a regular basis. This article explains how this works and what is necessary for it.

time

There are two important times for cleaning the wooden deck. One is spring, before the start of the gardening season, and the other is autumn, after the end of the gardening season. In spring, the terrace is not only freed from the dirt of winter, but also prepared for the renewed strength of the sun. And in the fall, the terrace has to be sealed again thoroughly before snow and rain can damage the wood.

Rough cleaning

Whether spring or autumn, the first job on a day that is as dry as possible is thorough sweeping of the decking. A simple broom is enough for this. Depending on the type of wood, soft bristles should be used. However, it is difficult to remove stubborn dirt with it. This is either treated with a harder brush or soaked thoroughly with water beforehand.

Thorough cleaning

After the rough cleaning, the individual planks are cleaned more thoroughly. Either the garden hose, a bucket of water or the high-pressure cleaner is used for this. With the latter, however, caution is advised. Even if the cleaning is quick and thorough, the wood can be damaged.

In most cases, normal washing-up liquid or soft soap is sufficient to remove dirt. A few splashes of this are added to the cleaning water. Scrub the wooden floorboards thoroughly with the water and remove any dirt. The surface must then be allowed to dry for about a day.

Green coating and gray coloring

Are there a lot of algae, mosses or weave, a green growth remover can be helpful. If, on the other hand, the wood is already weathered and has lost its natural color tone, a graying agent is used. Both means are used according to the manufacturer's information.

A notice: For environmental reasons, chemical agents should be avoided when treating the terrace if possible.

Care

After cleaning, the wood must be oiled, painted or glazed so that the surface protected from the weather is. Appropriate means:

• decking oils
• paints
• wood preservative glazes

A notice: Either an agent that matches the color of the wood is used, or a colorless variant. With some agents, the wood darkens over time if they are used more frequently.

Wood oil is best suited because the agent penetrates deep into the wood and thus not only protects it surface, moreover, no layer is formed on the wood, which may reappear after some time peeling off Oils in the color of the wood bring out the natural coloring without masking the grain.

Application:

• Working on a dry but overcast day will prevent the surface from drying too quickly
• Apply oil evenly with a cloth, brush, brush or sponge, depending on the manufacturer's instructions
• treat each individual plank thoroughly
• do not apply too much oil at once
• Wait for the reaction time
• remove excess oil with a cloth
• Repeat application if necessary if the wood does not yet appear saturated

A notice: Also Garden furniture needs to be treated from time to timeto keep you protected from the elements.

frequently asked Questions