Cleaning Trex Decking...

[SamSeal 14]

Hello ~

I have searched the threads on here for information on cleaning Trex Decking. Several of the threads were a couple years old.

I have also read Trex's website on how to clean Trex as well, but if you google what they suggest you find all sorts of responses where those products didn't work.

Any new idea's on how to clean Trex - without using HD-80 if possible?

Thanks In Advance,

Sam

[PressurePros 248]

Sam what are you trying to clean off, grease or mold? Be careful with Trex, very easy to remove the color from it. Never use HD-80.

[SamSeal 14]

Ken - thanks for the reply.

I am trying to clean off the black "mold" spots. The Trex is color is sort of a battleship gray.

The customer had previously cleaned it on his own with bleach - apparently removed the black spots - but only temporarily.

Any thoughts?

Sam

[PressurePros 248]

You can use bleach. It needs to be done often. You can seal Trex. I recommend you do. Makes cleaning much easier.

[douseahouse 21]

i too found a deck today that is a light grey and has plenty of black mold spots on it. the homeowner had bought some olympic deck cleaner and i tried it on one section. it cleaned but i had to brush it a little. i talked to roger over at carolina pressure pros and he suggested 3% shc. no good. i then tried 6% and got the same results as the olympic cleaner. it worked, but it was slow. i've got some 12.5% coming the first of the week so i may dilute that down a little bit and see what it's going to take. ken, you suggested a sealer...tell me more if you will. what's you thought on this one ken?

thanks,

rando

[PressurePros 248]

We always brush Trex when we clean it. Some have said they get adequate results spraying on some bleach and rinsing but that has not been my experience. I find the Trex so easily marred by pressure washing that I don't bother. Also, the higher you go with sodium hypochlorite percentage the more you rosk color shifting it.

We have used Sunfrog's sealers as recommended by TimberTech. We have also used semi-trans oils and solids with good results when color was needed.

[plainpainter 217]

Sounds like Trex ain't the miracle product that it was promised to be. Got Wood?

[Greg R 82]

Trex is having alot of problems with the imbedded mildew. We have cleaned and sealed 15 or 16 trex decks in the past couple years by lead of TREX company itself. Homeowners were calling in complaining about the mildew in our area and Trex contacted us back in 2002 about one. Ever since then the rep calls a couple times a year with projects that need cleaned and sealed.

Trex has two sealers they recommend. All the cleaning is done with bleach based solutions at strengths suitable for the job at hand. Call their office and they will supply you with the info needed.

Greg