How to restore composite decking?

A custom composite deck is a perfect space for hosting a happy hour with pals, cooking up a feast for the family, and soaking up the sun in your own backyard resort.

Composite decking is durable and low-maintenance and looks stunning. However, like anything worthwhile, composite decking requires a little maintenance to keep the deck surface at its best.

After the introduction of composite decks, they quickly became more popular than traditional, wooden options mostly because of their low-maintenance and installation cost. However, a lot of people mistake low-maintenance with no maintenance at all, which is why they get quite disappointed when they notice mold and stains that have been building up, as well as fading of the materials.

If you found yourself in this situation, you might be wondering – how can I restore my faded, composite deck? Fortunately for all homeowners that are looking for an answer to this question, this article might help. Let’s take a closer look at the steps you’ll need to take in order to properly restore it:

Table of Contents

Firstly, Purchase a Finish Made For Composite Materials

Ensure That You Entirely Clean it

Protect The Surrounding Area + Remove All The Nearby Items

Allow it to Dry Properly

Why Did It Fade in The First Place?

Firstly, Purchase a Finish Made For Composite Materials

Before you do anything else mentioned in the list above, your first step is choosing the right finish, meaning that you must opt for one that is made specifically for composite materials. In most cases, 3D Embossed with art color surface or co-extrusion surface, and darker color will be suitable because it has better performance on anti-UV.

COOWIN WPC provides the maintenance guide, you may contact the sales for getting the maintenance guide.

Ensure That You Entirely Clean it

Once you purchase the right finish, you should then start cleaning the structure. Now, we aren’t talking about simply sweeping the surface, we are talking about thoroughly cleaning it. Firstly, you’ll want to sweep it in order to remove any debris or dirt on it, and do not forget to clean the gaps as well.

When you’re done, you should clean it with a product that is made for composite materials, but, if you don’t have such a product, you can use warm water and gentle soap. You’ll need a stiff-bristle brush to remove any mold, pollen, or grime stuck on the surface. The cleaning solution needs to be hosed off, which means that you’ll need to wait for it to dry before doing anything else.

Protect The Surrounding Area + Remove All The Nearby Items

When the structure is completely dry, you should first remove any items that are located nearby and if you cannot remove them, use a plastic sheet to cover the items up. You should definitely not skip this step since the staining product might damage the surfaces of the furniture or other items.

So, once you’re done protecting everything, you should apply the finish according to the user manual that you got. Depending on your preferences, you can use either a brush or a roller. Keep in mind, if you use a roller, you’ll still need a brush in order to cover all the corners properly. If you notice that the nails popped up, you should go over them with a brush.

Lastly, when you’re done, you must ensure that there isn’t any excess finish pooling on the surface. If you don’t remove it, it’ll create shiny spots all over the area, and it’ll also prolong the time it needs for drying. If you notice excess finish, simply grab your roller and roll it out.  

Allow it to Dry Properly

According to the experts from www.coowingroup.com, you must ensure that you allow the first layer to dry properly before you even think about applying a second one. You should not try and apply the second layer before the drying time is complete. If you make this mistake, it will surely influence the overall result you’ll get in the end.

Why Did It Fade in The First Place?

There is a wide range of reasons why this might have happened to your deck, however, some of the most common reasons include things such as:

Exposure to Extreme Temperatures – one of the most common reasons why all decks fade is exposure to extreme temperatures. If the structure is constantly exposed to the sun, it’ll probably change its color, however, the good thing is that it’ll only become lighter. Why is this a good thing? Well, it’ll be easier to restore it then, for example, wood that will turn completely gray when exposed to extreme temperatures and weather.

Low-Quality Materials – generally speaking, the lower the quality of the composite material, the more likely it’ll start fading.

The WPC products RESIST color fading but are not fade-proof. As we all know, no material is fade-proof when subjected to years of exposure to sunshine or lights.

All materials fade over time, and you can expect minor fading from both Trex and TimberTech products within the first 3-4 months. After that, the color will remain consistent throughout the life of the deck.

As per industry practice, COOWIN guarantee that its WPC shall not fade unevenly when exposed evenly.