Low maintenance

Decked areas that have been well designed, need minimal maintenance to keep it looking great, it can be left to weather naturally.

The most important thing is to make sure products are pressure treated correctly and to the right use class in the first instance to get the best out of them through their lifespan. This will provide a long service life without the need to reapply any preservative treatment throughout the life of the deck.

All our Marley timber decking is preservative treated using Naturewood® to attain Use Class 3 as standard and complies to BS 8417.

The maintenance regime is pretty much the same as any external surface, we would recommend;

• Keep the deck surface clean by regular brushing with a stiff bristle brush to remove dirt, algae and dead leaves which could make the deck slippery in the wet.
• Clean decks once a year using a gentle pressure spray and a purpose-made deck cleaning product formulated to remove grease and discolouration, to keep them clear of slippery surface algae.
• To minimise any damage, it is recommended that rubber feet should be used on any deck furniture.
• Any planters, tubs or plant pots should be raised on blocks to allow air circulation and avoid mould growth.
  
  

Weathering

The term ‘weathering’ is used to describe the natural process that occurs when uncoated timber is exposed the elements. Typically, the process starts with the deck boards fading to a honey-like colour, then progressively changing over time to a silvery grey. This rate of weathering will vary dependent on factors such as how much UV exposure the timber is subjected to.

Surface Splits

As deck timbers weather, small cracks are likely to appear on the surface of the boards. These are caused by the intermittent wetting and drying of the wood. This is quite normal and does not affect the structural integrity of the deck.