UK - Decking Maintenance Advice

Whether you have a small or large area of decking it can really transform the look and feel of your garden. When it is first laid it looks and feels amazing underfoot, however, after a year or two it can start to look tired, faded and can become extremely slippery underfoot if it isn’t maintained and treated annually. The wet, cold weather in the UK can make it extremely slippery to walk on and the wood will start to change colour and become patchy. Read our Decking Maintenance Advice and it will prolong its life and ensure it looks lovely and is safe to walk on.

Decking is relatively easy to maintain, but like anything exposed to the elements, some maintenance is required. Regular maintenance will ensure it lasts anything from 15 – 30 years or more and when it has been treated it will look and feel brand new again. Adding some pots to your decking area, comfortable seating or an outdoor dining table and chairs will ensure you can enjoy your outside space in the warmer months and often bring the comfort of the inside out.

Maintaining your decking is easy if you know how to, and you have the right tools and products.

Like with any surface inside, debris and dirt will build up if it’s not cleaned and maintained. We are all guilty of not noticing our gardens in the winter and then when spring is on its way we all have a big haul and tidy up which takes forever to get it ready for summer.

When any outside wood gets wet which it will do in the UK throughout the summer and winter it often starts to go mouldy, grow mildew and algae and this is when it will become extremely slippery and dangerous to walk on.

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Decking Maintenance Tips

Every year after your decking has been installed the advice is that you strip it back to its original wood and then repaint or restain it to protect it again. This job is best done in the summer as you will need a couple of warm dry days to ensure the wood completely dries before you retreat it.

Check the forecast for the week ahead before you start your annual decking maintenance.

Depending on the size of your decking you may want to strip it back in smaller sections as this will make the job a lot more manageable. Work out your sections in your mind before you start.

Give your decking a good sweep using a hard sweeping brush and then a softer one and this will ensure you get as much of the debris out of the plank gaps as possible.

Next check there are no rotten parts to any of your decking boards as this could be dangerous when they are being walked on. If there are then you will need to carry out a repair or sometimes replace the whole decking board.

Use a large paintbrush, often a wallpaper brush is a good option due to its width and liberally paste your Eco Solutions Paint & Varnish Remover onto each plank. The product is like all the other Eco Solutions products; water-based, non-hazardous, non-toxic and non-caustic which makes it safe to use. We advise that you use gloves when you are using it but if it does go on your skin you are safe in the knowledge that it won’t burn or result in an injury as other paint strippers will. The product is also non-flammable and does not emit any fumes, again making it extremely safe to use both inside and outside when stripping back, oil, varnish or paint.

Leave it to work its magic for at least 30 minutes.

Find out everything you need to know here.