The wood plastic composite decking in my garden has been scratched and worn over time. Can it be repaired? Do I sand and then stain?
Many end users are often concerned about the maintenance of their composite deck and what they can do to keep their deck in tip top shape.
You may be able to smooth over the scratches, but you could change the surface texture and wind up with a deck that looks worse than it does now. So proceed cautiously.
If you know the manufacturer, contact its technical services department for advice. It's worth checking because composite decking is a term that's sometimes used to describe products made entirely of plastic, as well as wood plastic composites material that are the same material all the way through and wood-plastic cores surrounded by a plastic shell and in some cases no plastic or wood. A single manufacturer may offer several types, each of which requires a different scratch-removal strategy.
For example, TimberTech recommends using a wire brush to smooth over scratches in its wood-plastic composites (TwinFinish, ReliaBoard, DockSider and certain colors of Floorizon).
But to treat its all-plastic Earthwood decking or darker colors of Floorizon, the company suggests using a round-tip soldering iron to melt scratches so they blend in, or dabbing on specific wood stains. Care recommendations for Floorizon vary by colour because the darker tints are mostly near the surface. There is no recommended way to deal with scratches in TimberTech's Earthwood Evolutions, a wood-plastic composite wrapped in a poly shell.
One manufacturer that makes wood plastic floor with a surface moulded to simulate the grain pattern in natural wood. Although it is possible to sand or wire-brush these products; doing so removes the grain pattern. So unless you completely resurface the deck, your efforts to eradicate scratches will just make the damaged areas bigger.
If you do attempt a spot treatment, it may take two months or a little longer for the colour to even out through natural weathering.
Many end users are often concerned about the maintenance of their composite deck and what they can do to keep their deck in tip top shape.
You may be able to smooth over the scratches, but you could change the surface texture and wind up with a deck that looks worse than it does now. So proceed cautiously.
If you know the manufacturer, contact its technical services department for advice. It's worth checking because composite decking is a term that's sometimes used to describe products made entirely of plastic, as well as wood plastic composites material that are the same material all the way through and wood-plastic cores surrounded by a plastic shell and in some cases no plastic or wood. A single manufacturer may offer several types, each of which requires a different scratch-removal strategy.
For example, TimberTech recommends using a wire brush to smooth over scratches in its wood-plastic composites (TwinFinish, ReliaBoard, DockSider and certain colors of Floorizon).
But to treat its all-plastic Earthwood decking or darker colors of Floorizon, the company suggests using a round-tip soldering iron to melt scratches so they blend in, or dabbing on specific wood stains. Care recommendations for Floorizon vary by colour because the darker tints are mostly near the surface. There is no recommended way to deal with scratches in TimberTech's Earthwood Evolutions, a wood-plastic composite wrapped in a poly shell.
One manufacturer that makes wood plastic floor with a surface moulded to simulate the grain pattern in natural wood. Although it is possible to sand or wire-brush these products; doing so removes the grain pattern. So unless you completely resurface the deck, your efforts to eradicate scratches will just make the damaged areas bigger.
If you do attempt a spot treatment, it may take two months or a little longer for the colour to even out through natural weathering.