Decking Cleaning

A clean, well-finished deck is one of the most rewarding things to look at in a North East garden — and one of the most miserable when it's gone slimy and grey. Decks take a hard life: rain, sun, leaves, mud, mossy boots, dropped barbecue food and the odd glass of red. Without a yearly clean and a fresh coat of oil or stain every two to three years, even the best timber turns into a slip hazard inside half a decade.

The good news is that all but the very worst decks can be restored. We strip back grey weathering, lift moss and algae, deep clean the joints between boards, and re-finish the timber so it's protected for the years ahead. We work on traditional softwood decks, hardwood (iroko, balau, ipe) and composite decking — each gets the right treatment for the material.

What we do on a typical decking restoration

Decking work isn't just a quick blast with a pressure washer. Done badly, that approach raises the grain, splinters the surface and ruins the finish. Done properly, decking restoration is a series of steps in the right order:

• Site assessment — we check for loose boards, popped screws, structural issues and any rot. Anything we spot we tell you about up front.
• Pre-treatment — biocide for algae and moss, plus a tannin or grey-stripping agent if the wood has weathered.
• Wash — pressure controlled to lift dirt without raising the grain. We work along the grain, never across.
• Joint clearance — leaves and debris cleared from between boards.
• Drying time — the deck needs to be properly dry before any finish goes on.
• Sand — light sanding if needed to knock back any raised grain.
• Oil or stain — two coats of a quality decking oil or stain, brushed in along the grain.

Softwood decking

Most domestic decking in the North East is treated softwood — typically Scandinavian redwood or whitewood, pressure-treated to resist rot. It's a great-value material but it weathers fast: the surface goes silver-grey within a year if it's not finished, and starts to harbour algae within two. The wood itself usually stays sound, but it gets ugly and slippery.

Restoring softwood is straightforward. We pressure wash with care (the boards are softer than hardwood), let the timber dry thoroughly, then apply two coats of decking oil or stain. The result looks like a brand-new deck for a fraction of the cost of replacement, and a yearly maintenance clean keeps it that way.

Hardwood decking

Iroko, balau, cumaru, ipe and other tropical hardwoods are popular for their durability and rich colour. They tolerate the weather brilliantly but they still benefit from a yearly clean to remove dirt, algae and the slippery patina that builds up. We use a gentler pressure on hardwood and finish with a hardwood-specific oil, which deepens the natural tones without forming a film on the surface.

If your hardwood deck has gone grey, don't worry — that's just surface oxidation, not damage. A clean and an oil restores the warmth of the original colour.

Composite decking

Composite decking is sold as low-maintenance, but it's not zero-maintenance. Algae, moss, food spills and pollen still need cleaning off, and on shaded composite decks the surface can develop a slippery green film just like timber. We pressure wash composite at lower pressure (high pressure can damage the cap), use composite-friendly cleaners and rinse thoroughly. We never oil composite — it isn't designed to take a finish.

Most composite decks need a deep clean once a year and a quick rinse-and-tidy in between. We can quote for a one-off or a regular maintenance schedule.

Common decking problems we fix

• Green algae and slime — biocide-treated and washed off.
• Black mould — pre-treated with a fungicide and lifted with hot water.
• Grey weathering — stripped back to fresh wood, then oiled.
• Old peeling stain — sanded and removed before re-finishing.
• Moss in the joints — cleared with a thin blade and biocide-treated.
• Slippery surface — root cause (algae or oxidation) treated, deck made safe.
• Splinters and raised grain — light sanding included as part of a full restoration.

How to keep your deck looking great

After we've restored your deck, a little routine maintenance keeps it looking sharp. Sweep regularly to keep leaves from sitting and breeding mould. Avoid placing potted plants directly on the boards (use saucers or feet). Rinse the deck off with a hose every few weeks in summer. And book a maintenance wash with us once a year — we can pop it on the calendar and just turn up.

Re-oiling timber decks every two to three years is the single biggest thing you can do to keep them looking their best. Skip an oil cycle and the boards start to go grey again very quickly.