For people who have wood decks, it’s important to do regular maintenance work. Sometimes every few years or so, they need to have their outdoor decks fixed, painted, and sealed. People are more and more using composite decking instead of wood decking because it looks better. So, do we need to seal our composite decking?
How does composite decking work? Before we answer this question, we need to know that composite decking is made of recycled plastic and wood fibers. Compared to wood decking, composite decking doesn’t need to be maintained or repaired. Composite decking doesn’t need to be cleaned very often to keep looking good. The only thing you need to do is clean the composite deck every now and then, and that’s it. If you want to, you can protect your composite decking with a sealant. Putting a sealer on your composite decking will cut down on how often you have to clean it, but you will have to reseal it from time to time to keep it looking good.
Benefits of sealing composite decking
There are many benefits to sealing a deck that is made of wood. Even a composite deck can benefit from this. If you decide to seal your composite deck, you will spend less time cleaning it because it will not get dirty as quickly. To make things even better, you won’t have to deal with some of the mold and stain problems.
Also, a sealer can make the color of a composite deck look better. With a lot of sun and corrosion from the natural world, composite decks may fade a little. Putting on a sealer can make old composite decking look like it’s brand new again.
Disadvantages of applying a sealer
It isn’t recommended to seal composite wood decking made by most manufacturers. It’s good to seal composite material, but there are also some downsides. Using a sealer on composite decking can void the warranty and make it more expensive to keep it clean. You will need to keep resealing the outside of your deck after you start cleaning it. Not only will it take you longer to clean the deck, but it will also cost you a lot more to do so.
How to seal composite decking
Do-it-yourselfers may like to keep their outdoor decks clean. As a next step, let’s find out how to seal a composite deck.
Composite decking needs to be cleaned
Before you seal your composite deck, you should first clean your outdoor deck. remove any dirt, stains, or mold that may be on your deck outside. It’s important to remember that once the composite decking is sealed, any dirt that is still on it will be “sealed” into the decking.
Avoid using cleaners that have chlorine bleach in them. This is because chlorine bleach is bad for your skin. Using it in composite decking can make the floor fade, chip, and crack early. In order to avoid damaging your composite deck with the pressure washer, you need to know all of the rules in great detail.
Choosing a sealer for a composite decking
It’s time to start the sealing process now that the composite decking has been cleaned to the point where it’s ready. There are a lot of things to think about when it comes to sealing your composite deck. Water-based sealers are better than solvent-based sealers for this job. When you use water-based sealers, there are two main benefits. In the first place, they don’t change the color of composite decking like solvent-based products do. Second, they use synthetic resins, which keep algae and mold from growing on them.
Applying the sealer
Make sure to brush it when it’s wet to make sure it stays clean You can roll or spray the sealer on, but don’t forget to back brush. After rolling it on, quickly go over it with a brush to make sure it’s all even. If you choose to spray the sealer, use a roller to finish the back brush. Back-brushing the sealer will make the surface of the composite deck more stable. There is a reason why the composite will become more porous and soak up more sealer.
It will last longer if more sealer is absorbed by the deck’s surface, so the more sealer the surface has, the longer it will last. Sealer is a very important thing to remember. You should not use too much of it. If you use more sealant than the composite can handle, wipe off any extra. Excessive sealant can leave shiny, moving spots on the surface of the deck. To make sure the surface is clean, a spot of extra sealer needs to be wiped off. When it’s dry, then you can move on. Once the composite decking has dried, you can enjoy it to the fullest!