How to Care for Your Decking in Autumn and Winter

After enjoying your decking throughout summer, autumn is the perfect time to do some additional maintenance before the cold weather sets in. Whether you have a timber or a composite deck, it’s important to do some annual maintenance to keep it looking good and ensuring that it lasts for as long as possible. Here are some items to add to your gardening to do list over the next few weeks.

Caring for a Timber Deck

If you have timber decking, this is actually the perfect time to give it a new coat of stain for some more protection against the inevitable rain and perhaps even snow that comes with British winter. On a dry (and hopefully sunny) day, start by cleaning the deck and removing debris and moss. You can use a wood restorer to prevent it from growing back if you prefer, but you can also just use soap and water. Once this is done, you should let your deck dry for 2-3 days before sanding.

If you have previously stained, painted, or varnished the deck, you will need to strip the surface to remove the coating.

Once your decking is clean, stripped, and dry, it’s time to reapply your wood stain. It’s best to choose a faster-drying stain around this time of year. The stain will keep your decking looking good, restore some natural oils, and protect it against the worst of the weather.

Throughout autumn, it’s a good idea to brush off leaves and branches as they build up, especially if they have become wet since they can stain your deck and even cause rot.

Caring for a Composite Deck

One of the main benefits of composite decking is that it requires less maintenance than the timber alternative. That’s very clear around this time of year, when timber needs a little more care than composite decking. To keep your composite deck looking its best, you just need to keep it free from leaves and branches and clean the deck. You do not need to strip or sand it (this will damage the surface of your decking) – just use a suitable decking cleaner and consider it done!