Hardwood Deck Care & Maintenance
Keep Your Hardwood Deck Looking Its Best
Low-Maintenance Decking
Advantage Hardwood Decking is among the most durable decking materials on the planet. There’s really very little you need to do to ensure your deck lasts a lifetime. In fact, if you don’t mind your deck turning gray, then it’s one of the most low-maintenance materials you can buy!
Color Preservation
As alluded to above, all wood will fade to gray when exposed to the elements. To prevent this, we recommend coating your Advantage Hardwood Deck with DeckWise® Ipe Oil®. This should be done immediately after install, then repeated as needed. The exact interval will vary depending on various factors, such as proper installation location, climate, UV exposure and other considerations; most decks only require it once every year or two. Be sure to follow all the manufacturer’s instructions when applying.
Cleaning
You will need to clean your deck before each application of oil, or whenever it gets too dirty for your liking.
- Sweep up loose debris with a broom
- Clear debris from in between the deck boards to allow for water drainage
- Use DeckWise® Cleaner & Brightener and a non-metalic stiff bristle brush to scrub away any embedded dirt
- Rinse and allow to dry thoroughly (at least 24 hours in most areas) before applying oil
If you use a pressure washer, do not set it higher than 1200 psi.
Sanding
It may sometimes be necessary to sand your deck to remove imperfections. Use 80-grit sandpaper for this. If sanding is necessary, be sure to do it before cleaning and oiling.
Snow Removal
Do not use salt or other snow-melt agents to remove snow from your deck; doing so can cause permanent chemical staining that must be sanded out. Instead, use a rubber-tipped snow shovel to move snow off your deck. Metal-tipped shovels can leave scratches.
Questions?
If you have any other questions or concerns, please call us at 1-877-232-3915 or send an email to [email protected].
