So now you have your garden decking - that’s it now, right? You can just sit back and enjoy it. But perhaps that’s not quite it, because as with all garden decking, it needs careful, regular maintenance in order to preserve it. That way you’ll be able to use it for a long time to come.
Weather
Yes, the weather. In the UK we go through all 4 seasons and that can be quite an annual journey with humidity, freezing temperatures, sun, snow and sleet. With that in mind, your garden decking has a lot to contend with. The vagaries of the weather can really wreak havoc on your decking.
Products, You Need Products
If you have garden fencing and wooden fencing especially, you’ll have realised by now that your fencing has started to change shape in response to the weather. Wood is vulnerable to warping, however, it’s not all doom and gloom, you can do something about it.
Wood can blacken in time, this can happen as a result of water getting into the wood, but it can be dealt with by using a fungicidal wash. Wood can also go grey as well as black and this is due to sun damage. You may like it to stay this way, however if you don’t, then you can use a reviver gel that will restore it to its natural colour.
Cleaning Your Garden Decking
You can get the products described above at most good DIY stores. However, you should always make sure you clean the deck first before you treat it. You could go over it with washing up liquid and some warm water first, or some TSP. It’s best not to go over with any bleach, it may damage the timber.
You can use a jet spray to clean your deck, but its best if it isn’t too powerful as it could do serious damage to the wood fibres.
You could use a garden fungicide for your decking too, to clear away algae and mildew. Keep in mind this isn’t for cleaning, it’s just a fungicide and serves its purpose.
Decking Oils
Following a good clean you can then try a good treatment regime that’ll work in the long term. Please remember that it’s important to still clean your deck regularly even after you’ve treated it. Decking oil is another good treatment that fills the cells within the wooden decking and helps protect it.
A penetrating oil is much better than a varnish type finish as it won’t crack when the timber contracts and expands with the weather. You’ll also find that a good quality decking oil will help replace any natural oils that get lost over time with wear and tear.
Make sure you clean the deck thoroughly in the way we’ve described above before you apply decking oil.
Garden Decking West Lothian and Central Scotland
If you have any further questions regarding garden decking in West Lothian and beyond then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at Lothian Fencing and Decking, we’ll be more than happy to help.