Deck restoration and treatments
We provide professional decking cleaning and maintenance services in London, Kent and the south east. We are able to clean and maintain both wood and composite decking and offer a comprehensive range of decking restoration treatments for wooden decks including :
- deck stripping and preparation for fresh treatment
- applying oil, stain, paint and protector
If a timber deck is left untreated then it has no protection against the effects of weathering, rain, snow, freezing temperatures and harmful UV rays from the sun. Unprotected wood decking will soon start to fade and turn grey from the sunlight and if too much water is absorbed into the wood this can lead to rot and decks splintering and splitting.
They will also get dirty and algae or moss can quickly colonise a deck making it unsightly to look at and slippery and dangerous to walk on. Moss, lichen and algae thrive in damp conditions and untreated wood never properly dries out, except perhaps during a heatwave, but they’re not too frequent in the UK.
We also provide decking cleaning services in London and Kent without additional treatments, depending on our customer’s needs.
Exterior decking needs some weatherproofing protection and this means using :
- decking oil
- stain
- paint
- protector / sealer
- wood preservative
All of the above have their pros and cons but the one thing they have in common is the protection they give to bare wood to waterproof it and stop fading and greying from the sun. The exception to this is preservative which in itself does not seal wood against water penetration.
Deck cleaning & restoration
Decking restoration in London includes one of the following treatments:
Wood Preserver
Wood preservative protects against woodworm and other insects as well as stopping mould, fungi and algae, the usual cause of rot and decay. We would encourage the use of preservative as part of our decking cleaning and maintenance service and it can be used as a base coat prior to applying oil. Wood preservers are available in clear or coloured varieties.
However, wood preservers do not offer the same protection against water and weathering as oil or stain and so needs a suitable top coat of decking oil, paint or stain. A wax-free preservative should be used if the top coat is gong to be a water based stain or varnish. This is because wax will resist water and stop the stain being properly absorbed. A suitable top coat will seal in the preservative and give excellent protection against water penetration.
Cuprinol advise : “Bare or untreated wood should be pre-treated with an appropriate wood preserver to prevent rot and decay”
source : cuprinol.co.uk/advice/decking , 2021
Wood preservative protects against mould and algae to an extent that is not matched by oil or stain, but doesn’t offer the same level of waterproofing protection. Some of the leading wood preservative brands include Barrettine, Ronseal, Cuprinol and Sadolin.
Decking Oil
Oil is designed to soak deeply into wood and nourish it from within and replace natural oils lost through weathering. It gives excellent water resistance to stop rainwater penetrating and prevents the wood from splitting and warping. They come in clear versions that help enhance the natural look of wood as well as a range of subtle colours designed to add colour to decks. The actual colour tones are generally quite light and the end result will depend on the natural colour of the wood.
Decking Stain
Stains are ideal for old or weathered decks that need an improvement in their appearance. Stains or paint will actually change the colour and look of decking as well as protecting against water penetration and fading from sunlight. They also offer a durable protection from heavy foot traffic and scuffs.
They are available in a wide selection of colours ranging from light pastels to dark woods.
Decking Protector & Sealer
Protector provides a water repellant barrier to protect against rainwater and prolong the life of wooden decking. It helps prevent swelling and warping and is UV resistant to maintain the colour of decking.
It is usually a clear, transparent finish but is also available in lightly pigmented options such as Ronseal Decking Protector in Natural and Natural Oak.
Decking cleaning and maintenance services in London
Our deck cleaning and maintenance in London is able to apply any of the treatments described above ensuring a high quality professional finish for your decking. We are also able to strip away any old coatings of stain, paint or oil which need to be removed before re-treating wood decking.
When cleaning decking we use decking cleaner and reviver that has been specifically designed to clean and brighten wood decks and containing a fungicide to kill and remove algae, lichen and mould. It also opens the pores of the wood preparing it for a protective treatment such as oil or stain.
Is it OK to jet wash decking?
Yes it is if it is done correctly. We provide professional jet washing services in London and Kent and are highly experienced in using pressure washers. They are a highly effective way of cleaning exterior hard surfaces and are perfectly safe when used properly and keeping the nozzle a safe distance away from the wood.
Composite decking cleaning and maintenance London
Composite decking combines wood fibres, plastic and a binding agent to create a durable exterior deck. There are 2 types:
- Wood Polymer Composite, or WPC, is also known as non-capped and is an older type of composite now normally used now.
- Capped Composite is more commonly used nowadays and consists of WPC wrapped in a PVC sleeve making it more durable and water resistant.
Composite decks are meant to be lower maintenance than wood but still require some cleaning and maintenance and are susceptible to staining caused by algae. We provide a professional composite decking cleaning and maintenance service in London and Kent. This involves using a specialist composite deck cleaner and degreaser designed specifically for composite materals, followed by pressure washing.
Composite deck cleaning, algae removal and soft washing in London
Is your deck stained by unsightly algae, mould or mildew? This is a common problem with wood and composite decking.
We can clean and remove this and treat the deck with a long lasting algae killer to prevent it returning for 12 months or more. We also offer a low pressure composite deck soft washing service specifically aimed at killing and removing algae, lichen and all other biological spores that can ruin the appearance of a deck and make it slippery to walk on. Soft wash is a safe, low pressure, highly effective method for cleaning and maintaining composite decking and other exterior hard surfaces such as cladding and render cleaning.
We clean, oil and stain decking throughout Kent and London including Bexleyheath, Bromley, Welling, Chislehurst, Eltham, Greenwich and surrounding areas.
Wood deck cleaning & soft wash service London
Low pressure softwashing of wooden buildings, cladding, sheds, fences & outbuildings
Our soft wash decking cleaning service in London safely and effectively removes black and green algae, black lichen spots, fungi, mould and moss from wooden decks. The professional grade biocide used also contains a wood preservative to prevent rot. It also gives long lasting protection against algae and all other biological spores and continues killing algae for at least 12 months or more.
An annual application of biocide will keep decking free of algae, fungi and mould indefintely.
Algae and biological spores absorb into porous surfaces such as wood. Jet washing alone will only clean the surface and spores absorbed below the surface of decking will soon re-appear and re-colonise the entire surface area. Much of the dark staining seen on exterior hard surfaces which is mistaken for dirt is in fact black algae.
High power pressure washing may remove what is visible on the surface but leave spores beneath it unaffected and the deck will soon look dirty again. Soft washing is the low pressure application of specialist cleaning products sold to professional users only, that are specifically designed to kill and remove all biological growths and spores. The products we use are fully approved by the UK Health and Safety Executive and are completely safe for people and pets once the surface has dried.
Softwashing produces excellent results for wood decking cleaning and other timber structures including:
- house and building cladding
- sheds, garden offices, cabins and outbuildings
- fencing
Gleam Team Cleaning Services – 07581 681994 or email using Contact Us for further information
We provide a comprehensive range of exterior cleaning services in Kent, London and the south east using pressure washing and low pressure soft wash methods for all outdoor areas and hard surfaces such as:
- driveways patios and block paving
- house and building exteriors
- walls, brickwork and render cleaning
- UPVC and timber cladding