NATURAL WEATHERING & CLEANING TIPS > ECO-DECKING is very colour fast, but like anything left outside for years there will be some colour degradation. ECO-DECKING requires a fraction of the maintenance compared to timber decks. A very small amount of care will go a long way to retaining the fresh look of your deck. We suggest you periodically clean your deck, even if it appears clean to ensure that pollen and debris don’t settle on it.
MOULD, MILDEW & GRIME > Mould needs moisture and temperatures between approx 0–30˚c. ECO-DECKING is not a food source for mold, but can collect food in the form of pollens, dirt and debris from overflow of potplants and gutters. If the gaps between deck boards are too small, clogged or non existent, then moisture cannot dry quickly. If mould colonies appear, clean the deck with a deck cleaner. Power washing with a water-blaster can damage the boards and does not remove all spores of mould and it will quickly grow back. An appropriate deck cleaning solution will kill the spores, not spread them.
PRESSURE WASHER > OUTDURE does not recommend the use of a high pressure washer. Any washer with a greater than 1,500 PSI and/or applied closer than 25cm from the deck surface could damage the decking surface and result in a loss of warranty coverage.
DIRT AND DEBRIS > Clean deck to remove dirt and debris. Soap, hot water and a OUTDURE's soft bristle brush is sufficient.
BUILDERS CHALK MARKINGS > Chalk lines can be difficult to remove. We suggest using white chalk if you can. Scrubbing the area with hot soapy water with may dislodge the chalk.
WATER TANNIN SPOTS > Tannin spots can sometimes be seen on your ECO-DECKING. This is from excess pigment sitting on the surface of the board. It will not bleed like a hardwood timber. Most tannin spots will appear within the first 16 weeks of normal weathering. These will fade or disappear naturally during weathering. If you want to accelerate this process, use a hose and a scrubbing brush.
OIL AND GREASE STAINS > Use household-degreasing agent as soon as the stain occurs and scrub, then rinse with hot water and scrub. Repeat if necessary. Rinse thoroughly.
BERRIES AND WINE STAINS > These stains can be very stubborn in any material. We suggest you mix bleach into hot water according to the bleach-packaging label. Scrub the stain lightly and rinse thoroughly.
SCUFFS, ABRASIONS AND RUST STAINS > ECO-DECKING is designed to retain its fresh look, obviously if furniture etc is dragged over any surface it will leave some kind of marking. The surface maybe revitalised if need be with an OUTDURE Revitalising Wire Brush. Depending on the surface finish your decking product has, rust stains can be removed by light brushing. The surface finish you achieve is entirely up to the technique and pressure you use. Practice your resurfacing technique on a scrap piece of decking before trying to resurface an area in the middle of your deck!
THE OUTDURE DECK REVITALISING KIT > Depending on the exposure to the weather, the deck may be revitalized once every five years using an OUTDURE wire brush supplied by OUTDURE. This brush is especially designed for this use and no other wire brush is to be used otherwise it voids the warranty. The revitalizing brush is to be attached to a long handle and used in a similar method to a mop. Six strokes on each board (three each way) with a small amount of pressure to achieve even coverage of the brush on the board will rejuvenate the surface texture and colour as it removes the very top surface of the decking board. This is to be done no more than once every five years as it is very abrasive on the boards. Spot revitalising can be done on specifics marks, however the maintenance person must must take care not to be overzealous with the wire brush. The property owner or maintenance crew should contact us directly for the correct tools to revitalise the boards. Our revitalising kits are available for purchase, please call 0800 77 88 77 to order.
PLEASE NOTE > Deck revitalizing is not a requirement for residential decks, it is an optional process that may refresh the look or your deck every five years. For commercial and high traffic applications, the revitalizing process maybe be required to maintain slip resistance.
WARNING > OUTDURE'S REVITALISING WIRE BRUSH IS INCREDIBLY ABBRASIVE AND REMOVES A LAYER OF MATERIAL OFF THE BOARD UPON EACH USE. ONLY USE WHEN THE BOARDS ARE DRY. OVERZEALOUS WITH THE WIRE BRUSH VOIDS YOUR WARRANTY. THE WIRES ARE VERY SHARP AND CAN PIERCE THE SKIN. USE A DUST MASK, PROTECTIVE EYE WEAR AND LEATHER GLOVES WHEN USING THE WIRE BRUSH.