Cleaning mould from deck

[JMB]

My apologies if this question has been answered elsewhere. I have read through many of the posts about cleaning decks but still felt the need to clarify what I have read. I live in the Blue Mountains, and the endless rain this summer has meant that our merbau deck has become very mouldy in places. We want to clean off all the mould and dirt and then re-oil the deck if we ever get a few sunny days in a row. So far what I have read is that we should firstly wash the deck with a napisan solution, then probably wash this off with a high pressure cleaner. I also read that we should then use Flood Spa-N-Deck, and allow to dry thoroughly before we apply the oil. Is this the best solution to removing the mould from our deck??

[Oldsaltoz]

A product called wet and forget will not only remover mould but stop it coming back, you only need to treat it once a year and you only need a garden sprayer.

It relies on rain to wash the dead mould off and should be applied at least 2 to 3 days before rain is expected and the best results are when it's applied late in the day so the sun does not dry it off before it soaks in.

I sprayed a 15 year old paling fence and a moth later it looked 10 years younger.

Good luck. :)

No connection, just a very happy user.

[JMB]

thanks for the reply Oldsaltoz. That sounds like a great product but I'm wondering if I use that after I have cleaned the deck but NOT oiled it or whether I would oil the deck first then apply the wet and forget??

[Oldsaltoz]

I would oil the deck and wait a mothe then apply the wet and forget.

[Bloss]

Order is important here - you need to remove the existing mould first and then oil - then any treatment to prevent new mould growth. That means read and follow the stickies for prepping - the napisan (use the cheapest no-name brand you can find this is going on a deck not skin and they all contain sodium percarbonate or similar http://www.rb-msds.com.au/uploadedFiles/pdf/Napisan (Vanish) Plus Everyday Soaker-v5-31175.pdf ) then pressure spray, then well dry then oil or water based decking finish.

[jsvensson]

'sand' it with a pressure washer until all mold is gone then use napisan to clean it. Use oxalic acid to clean it again and bring out the fresh colours then oil it with tung oil or cutek. You can also sand it wit a belt sander or random orbital sander.

[ringtail]

Just a word of caution. If you use a "natural oil" the mould will regrow in no time. Mould spores love it. A water based finish will give a much better service life but like all of them, will need regular recoating - like 12-18 months if covered and as much as every 6 months depending on weather exposure

[Oldsaltoz]

thanks for the reply Oldsaltoz. That sounds like a great product but I'm wondering if I use that after I have cleaned the deck but NOT oiled it or whether I would oil the deck first then apply the wet and forget??

Apply the Wet and forget first, if the area is protected form rain, wait 4 or 5 days and hose it, do not pressure clean it it will most likely remove the product and could leave you with a rough and splinter rich surace.

Good luck. :)

[Pulse]

I also read that we should then use Flood Spa-N-Deck, and allow to dry thoroughly before we apply the oil. Is this the best solution to removing the mould from our deck??


Just a note Spa-N-Deck is applied to thoroughly wet timber. It is my favourite deck coating and holds up well but needs recoating at times. I have vertical surfaces in western sun with about 8 years without recoating or signs of weathering.

Cheers
Pulse

[Oldsaltoz]

(Quote)thanks for the reply Oldsaltoz. That sounds like a great product but I'm wondering if I use that after I have cleaned the deck but NOT oiled it or whether I would oil the deck first then apply the wet and forget??
(end Quote)

I would only clean the deck if it has some marks to removed, if the only marks are mould then use the wet n forget first.

Good luck. :)