Please help. I hate my decking .last 2 years its gotten worse.i jet wash.use algae remover and oil to seal it.but its awful.

Question

Please help.   I hate my decking .Please help.  I hate my decking . last 2 years its gotten worse. i jet wash. use algae remover and oil to seal it. but its awful. Each time its getting harder to clean Cant afford to take up. Any tips to improve it ? Thanks

Answer 1

Take it up it's to dangerous and slippery had half of mine taken up

Answer 2

You can buy a non slip decking stain. I've seen many people raving over it. I must admit I've never tried it. You'd need to jetwash first and make sure it's fully dried out before using it.  

Answer 3

Paint it Grey

Answer 4

Post on free cycle and someone will take it away for you

Answer 5

Cover it with artificial grass

Answer 6

Don't paint, give it a good jetwash again, let dry and oil it. They have many colours available in oils nowadays. you'll have to oil it again every few years. it will look new. ours looked worse, looking for pics for you.  

Comments

Before oiling

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Before after a jet wash

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@tuck oil? Is it slippy?  

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@kitchens yes oil, look up the Osmo brand. No, it's not slippery at all, the oil nourishes and protects the wood, most of it is 'drunk' by the wood. I think it's way better than paint or varnish which will eventually flake and then it's a a mess to take out/touch up. :)

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@tuck wow that’s brill, what oil have you used. I have hope  

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@unreserve well, I live in Finland so it's a Finnish brand, but decking oils are available in the UK and I remember ordering samples from Osmo before we moved. any decking oil should do the trick, it's not like paint where some brands can be a disaster ! From B&Q you should find them, in browns, greys etc.  

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Here's the link: .  
https://www.osmouk.com/sitechaptern...ducts

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Also be careful with pressure wash as you can break the wood and create splinters. jet wash on low setting.  

Answer 7

Screwfix Anti Slip paint Grey. A year on it’s great.  

Comments

@anadem mine like black ice, so dangerous

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@anatolian doesn’t it just need a clean.  

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@anadem I’ve tried but soon after slippy again, in the summer I will paint it with proper stuff with sand in I think x

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@anatolian that’s a good idea, doesn’t hurt to add more sand to any paint. I’ve just found it’s looking better longer and mines at top of garden, under trees, but not a high traffic area and I kept the leaves down as they appeared.  

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@anadem mine is all big trees at the back and green in places

Answer 8

Just get it up and put some thing there

Answer 9

Fake grass.  

Answer 10

Paint it

Answer 11

Never pressure washed decking, just used a good quality decking oil from new. 2 coats when new then 1 coat each year.  

Answer 12

I am going to get totally shot for this. thin bleach, watered down, scrubbed in will kill the algae, after 24 hours hose it off. Then apply a decent decking oil.  

Comments

@edgington we use hypochlorite to clean ours! Can’t beat a bit of dilute dairy cleaner . Let it dry then use a really good quality decking preservative. Osmo or Barrettine usually.  

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@eugine56 , completely agree. Decking is brilliant but it needs work

Answer 13

If your decking is north facing, it's going to be in alot of shade which means it will hold the damp. I know this is gardening on a budget but the only remedy I would choose is poly plastic wooden decking.  

Answer 14

I've heard that this product works quite well:  
https://www.wetandforget.com/wet-an....html

Comments

@heyduck thanks already bought it last year  

Answer 15

Sorry that should say wooden effect decking.  

Answer 16

Fake turf

Answer 17

I've put artificial turf over mine!  

Comments

@jenifer that's a no no hun was going to do with mine but went into place that sold it and he told me someone who had sold to owner of caravans on a site had done all decking on his vans and was being sued as it speeded up rotting underneath because of water retention and a few people had fallen through the rotten boards x

Answer 18

We took ours up after falling over on it several times despite jet washing. Put sandstone slabs down instead. The slabs are much easier and safer to walk on and look better to be honest.  

Answer 19

Try this it’s so good . Dilute and spray on a dry day . it then works over next few months

Answer 20

Bleach with water kills of the algea

Answer 21

Cover with astro turf

Answer 22

We painted ours slate grey with ronseal rescue decking paint litterally looked like new decking

Comments

@chin551 do you have a picture?  

Answer 23

Mine is the same x

Answer 24

I just bleach mine works a treat  

Answer 25

Paint with a textured non slip floor paint after really cleaning and applying a dilute pva solution

Answer 26

Dont mean to be one of those that post silly responses, but I immediately thought of this:  
https://youtu.be/i6c4Nupnup0

Answer 27

Don't paint it ronseal greyit flakes off within 6 months it's crap

Answer 28

You need , osmo decking oil we have done ours and this is the third year , just cover again in spring and comes lovel , expensive about £50 but well worth it .  

Answer 29

Astro turf it and tack it down. It looks great all year round. X

Comments

It will also rot faster if you do this

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Mine hasnt but if changing it is not affordable its a good interim measure. Im not a purist but the stuff has a place in all gardens. My son uses it as a play area for his cars. The newer stuff looks great too. Im an experienced gardener with a huge natural lawn and . maybe one day. :-D O:-)

Answer 30

Outdoor rug from Amazon. My decking was the same but i love the rug. Covers everything!  

Answer 31

We painted half of ours then fake turfed the rest, had it down 3 years now and it’s great!  

Comments

Ignore the bike, I was selling it, but it gives you the idea

Answer 32

We put artificial turf on ours. Easy to clean and not dangerously sloppy xx

Answer 33

Buy decking tiles from ikea and put them over it

Answer 34

Decking paint brilliant stuff!  

Answer 35

Alice Bone Problem with this xxxx

Answer 36

Jet wash it then seal it with good quality oil

Answer 37

Go timber tech composite decking mines 10 years old now

Answer 38

Hire a sander, sand it to key the timber, Mix a load of sharpsand into your chosen oil-based paint and get slap-happy with the roller and brush.  

Comments

@baucom Why the sharp sand?  

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@halden it'll provide you some grip and if you use a suitable waterproof paint as the solvent, it glues the sand so the decking/steps/whatever is like sandpaper and it won't wash away too easily.  

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@baucom fab thanks

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@halden Gloss paint is a good one, but be aware that wet gloss itself can be slippy so a good mix of sand and due care when walking in less than dry conditions is required of course.  

Answer 39

Prep first. you need a clean dry surface good luck. sand it wash it and dry

Answer 40

Jess Easton some ideas here for yours xx

Answer 41

What if you paint it? cheap enough. and would look good a grey colour, jet wash first and let it dry then paint and sealer.  

Answer 42

I did this three years ago