One of the things I enjoy about home improvement is trying out different products so see how they stand up to our Northwest climate. The project that my wife and I knew was on our top five to-do list was to remove an on-grade slab of concrete which was our patio. When we purchased our home the only access to the outside patio was through the garage door or walking around the house–a real drag that we had to change. After we installed an Anderson sliding door from the kitchen and dining area for easy access to the back yard where the concrete patio was, we put our savings in high gear for our on-grade deck where we could lounge and watch the scenery and enjoy our Summer-like weather we are now experiencing.
Spring 09' Copyright Tim Kane
I’ve repaired, cleaned and stained numerous decks for family and friends and after considering what products seemed to work well and what types of decks gave me the most frustration in repairing or maintaining, we settled on a composite deck system by Xtendex sold at retailers around Puget Sound. This decking is extremely dense and has a wood-grain feature that is embossed into the board lengths during the manufacturing process. My initial concern was that this would wear away, but after three years it still looks very good.
We purchased our deck and railing system at Dunn Lumber. The color that worked best for us was Redwood. I’ll be the first to admit this deck has taken a beating both with fireworks landing on it (and being launched from thanks to a creative son), numerous food spills, ice, snow (and me shoveling it off with…a shovel), and deck furniture. This past Fall and Winter weather was as brutal as I can remember since we’ve lived in our home. A lot of grime and dirt built up since last Spring when it was last cleaned.
Grime vs clean
See the pictures of how clean this deck looks after three seasons. I used a mild detergent and then pressure washed the decking. About 750 sq. ft was cleaned in about 90 minutes start to finish. I couldn’t help but look at my neighbors house (Joy, I hope you don’t read this post and if you do I’ll buy you a Mocha) where their decking looked haggard, worn and peeling paint everywhere. To have a wood deck refurbished, stained and railings painted would cost a bundle and the refurbish cycle would have to be close to every other year depending upon the quality of the materials, workmanship and finish. Washing down our decking is about the only maintenance I have to look forward to for a number of years. I we had to do anything all over again it would be to change the fastening system from what we have (Stainless Steel Top screws) to a hidden fastening system.
Detergent w/ pressure washing
clean deck
Good luck to all the D-I-Y ‘s this Spring and Summer.
I absolutely agree that the new composite decks are the bomb! Back when they first came out there were plenty of issues, but they have all been pretty well worked out.
They do cost significantly more at installation, but as you are pointing out, that is definitely made up in maintenance costs down the road. I put some composite decking in at my last house, and since I know the people that bought it, I stop by and see if from time to time. Some 6 years later it still looks good, and has had almost no maintenance done to it.
I always encourage my clients to go with the more durable composite decking over standard wood whenever possible. It may sting the pocketbook at first, but it well worth it down the road!
Thank you for the post about cleaning Xtendex decks.
Power washing is not appropriate for many composite decks.
My wife and I plan to build a house with a Trex front porch, because Trex offers very durable white railings and deck materials.
Trex recommends “basic cleaning with a composite deck cleaner or a combination of soap, hot water, and a soft bristle brush at the time of installation, and semi-annually (typically Spring and Fall)”.
“Trex does not recommend the use of a pressure washer. The use of a pressure washer with a greater than 1,500 PSI and/or applied closer than 10″ from the deck surface could damage the decking surface and result in a loss of warranty coverage.”
http://www.trex.com/care/cleaningguide.aspx
http://www.trex.com/technicalinfo/mold.aspx
http://www.trex.com/technicalinfo/painting.aspx
Did you really get a “copyright” for that first picture 🙂
Deck rot has become a huge issue in inspections, particularly since the market turned. Cantilevered decks with rot should not be treated lightly, as the deck support runs into the home (1/3 out 2/3 in, is the normal ratio). Rot on the upper floor deck may mean rot traveling into the home’s floor joists on the second floor.
Second floor wood decks off the bedroom (that are not posted to the ground) are usually cantilevered off the master bedroom floor joists.
Cliff,
How’s the deck cleaning/renovation going this Spring? I agree. The composite decks are really paying for themselves pretty quickly.
Jaspar,
Pressure cleaning should be done according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. Unfortunately, for me, the suggestions are “light” in nature and just are not practical.
I used a 20 HP Honda 3500 PSI system on mine. The Xtendex held up very nicely. But again, it is up to the homeowner on how much is too much. I hope your deck turns out great. Send some pics when you are done.
Ardell,
I put copyright in there because I’ve run into a case or two where my photos’s miraculously showed up on other websites (blogs). 🙂
hi tim, read your reply about xtendex deck,i am looking for some decking ,have found some discontinue xtendex decking locally, doing some research before buying,can you tell me more—–2-3 minutes tops -thanks -will pay you kindness and time FORWARD…ps also can answer any automotive questions you have in the furture
Having a deck is a little like owning a boat. It should be maintained or cleaned at least once a year.
We use a solution of about 30% cheap household bleach, a little orange detergent, and spray it on with a garden pump sprayer. You let the solution sit or, reapply. Most manufacturers recommend adding Jo Max.
You can broom the detergent, with bleach, with the grain of the decking and reapply for harder dirt.
We usually do this in early spring on an over cast day or in the evening as the sun is going down. It takes a while between the brooming and reapplying the solution.
After working the whole deck over for about an hour, or more depending on the size of the deck, you rinse with a heavy stream of a garden hose.
If you have wood, once every two years you should apply semi transparent stain.
The problem with pressure washing is it can raise the grain on wood. Some times pressure washing can expose the fibers of the synthetic. In any case the problem here is the black mildew.
You can bleach it out or use Hydrogen Peroxide.
It takes time for the bleaching to work so adding bleach to pressure washing does nothing for the mildew. After applying the bleach solution it takes at least thirty minutes to work.
Bleach dissipates pretty quickly and turns into a salt water. Thats why reapplying can be beneficial.
Having a deck is a little like owning a boat. It should be maintained or cleaned at least once a year.
We use a solution of about 30% cheap household bleach, a little orange detergent, and spray it on with a garden pump sprayer. You let the solution sit or, reapply. Most manufacturers recommend adding Jo Max.
You can broom the detergent, with bleach, with the grain of the decking and reapply for harder dirt.
We usually do this in early spring on an over cast day or in the evening as the sun is going down. It takes a while between the brooming and reapplying the solution.
After working the whole deck over for about an hour, or more depending on the size of the deck, you rinse with a heavy stream of a garden hose.
If you have wood, once every two years you should apply semi transparent stain.
The problem with pressure washing is it can raise the grain on wood. Some times pressure washing can expose the fibers of the synthetic. In any case the problem here is the black mildew.
You can bleach it out or use Hydrogen Peroxide.
It takes time for the bleaching to work so adding bleach to pressure washing does nothing for the mildew. After applying the bleach solution it takes at least thirty minutes to work.
Bleach dissipates pretty quickly and turns into a salt water. Thats why reapplying can be beneficial.
Good advice being given here. However, after having designed, built and owned a number of wood decks (photo of one linked below), I must say- maintenance wise- I’m glad to have concrete patios again. This I can do because our house (see my WebSite) is low to the ground (on a slab). J-
http://tinyurl.com/ncbaqn
Concrete is certainly easy to maintain. 🙂