Wood decks need to be taken care of regularly. For people who have already used them, this is important. Every year or two, they have to clean up, paint, and seal their decks. Instead of wood decking, composite decking is becoming more and more popular. Do we need to seal the composite decks at my house?
Before we answer. We need to know that these decking boards are made of recovered plastic and wood fibers. Take a look at how wood decks and composite decking stack up. This type of decking is great because it doesn’t need much or any maintenance.
For composite decks to look good, it doesn’t need much care. The only thing you need to do is keep the composite deck clean. Cover your wood deck with a seal if you like. Putting a seal on your composite deck will help you clean it faster and easier. For it to look good over time, you will need to reseal it every so often.
Why it’s a good idea to seal composite decks
Many good things happen when you seal a deck that looks nice. If you have even composite decks, this method works well. It will save you time to clean your wood deck less often if you seal it. You can also avoid some of the problems that come with mold and spots this way.
Another good way to make the color stand out and look better on composite decks is to seal it. Composite decks may fade a little over time because they are always in the sun and the ground can rust them. If your composite decking has lost its color, you can get it back to how it looked before by sealing it.
Not so good things about using a sealer
A lot of companies that make composite materials say that composite wood decks don’t need to be sealed. Many good things happen when you seal composite material, but some bad things also happen. It might not be covered by the insurance if you seal a composite deck, and it will cost more to fix and keep up! It does make it easy to clean decks outside.
But after you clean the deck, you’ll have to fix it again and again to keep it looking good. The deck will not only need more work, but it will also look worse. But it will cost a lot more to keep up.
How to finish a wood-plastic deck
Some DIYers might like to keep their decks in good shape. Next, we’ll talk about how to keep a composite deck clean.
How to clean a wood-plastic deck
Make sure the surface of your composite deck is clean before you seal it. To clean your deck of any dirt, spots, or mold that may have gathered over time. When you seal composite decks, any dirt that is still on it will become “sealed” into it.
Cleaners that have chlorine bleach in them are not good for you. This is because chlorine bleach is corrosive and will hurt the composite decks. That can then make the wood deck crack or change color. You should know how to keep your composite deck safe if you want to use a power washer.
What sealer to use on composite decks
Getting the composite decks sealed is the next step after it has been cleaned well. Picking the right finish for your composite deck is very important. Water-based sealers work better for this task than solvent-based sealers.
There are two main reasons why water-based adhesives are better than other kinds. Some goods change the color of the composite decking, but these don’t. Another thing is that they use man-made resins that make it hard for mold and algae to grow.
Putting the sealant in place
Get rid of any bits that are left over with a brush while the sealer is still wet. The sealer can be rolled on or sprayed on, but it needs to be brushed off every time. Spread the sealer out with a roller, and then quickly move it back into place with a brush.
You can use a roller to finish the back-brushing if you choose to use a spray sealer. The surface tension of the composite deck will rise if the sealer is rubbed back into the wood grain. To get more holes in the composite and let it soak up more sealant, it needs to be heated.
Your deck’s surface will last longer if it soaks up more finish. Remember not to use too much glue. You will have to wipe off extra sealant if you use more than the composite can soak up. There may be shiny, moving spots on the deck’s surface if there is too much sealer left over.
A little extra sealer needs to be wiped off so that everything looks clean. After that, make sure it’s dry for at least a day. Your composite decks will be ready to use as soon as it is dry.
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