Treating your wooden terrace
Let's jump right in, shall we? Maintaining your wooden deck is not that difficult. There are two main things to do: clean your deck thoroughly and then keep it protected from outdoor conditions.
Step 1: cleaning your wooden deck
- Remove dirt and degrease
- Use a pressure washer and/or specialised product
- Use green deposits cleaner if necessary
- Apply de-greyer if necessary
Cleaning a wooden terrace
If your terrace has only recently been installed, you won't have to do all too much preparatory work. In that case, degreasing with lukewarm water and detergent will do. Make sure to rinse the terrace afterwards thoroughly, let it dry and lightly sand it, before you start treating it.
A really dirty terrace can be cleaned easily with a specialised product such as Xyladecor Krachtreiniger voor alle Buitenhout. It will quickly get rid of all the dirt and other stuff that's on your terrace.
Remove green deposits on wooden terrace
Maybe your terrace is already a bit older? Then it could look a bit greyish and/or darkened, or it could be affected by green deposits. Thankfully, there's a quick fix for all of that as well.
Green deposits can be cleaned away with soda crystals dissolved in water or a specialised product such as AlgiAlgues. Moss can be removed with cleaning vinegar (a type of vinegar that is especially intended for cleaning and is less acidic than its regular variant).
Restoring colour in a geyed terrace
For greyed terraces, Xyladecor Ontgrijzer voor alle Buitenhout is THE product to use. Only ten minutes of letting the gel do its job, some good rinsing, and the terrace will be clean and no longer grey at the same time.
Step 2: protect your wooden deck with oil or stain
- Choose a good stain or oil
- Use a brush
- Apply at least two coats
- Keep your terrace in top condition
Applying oil or wood stain
You can opt either for oil or for (transparent) wood stain to treat your terrace. They both penetrate the wood and protect it from the inside out. Both also preserve the wood's natural characteristics, such as the colour and wood pattern.
Should you want to slightly change or intensify the colour, however, you can also choose to use a tinted oil or stain.
To optimally protect the wood, use a brush to apply at least two coats of oil or wood stain on your terrace.
Maintenance of wooden decking
Of course you want your patio to stay looking this good, right? We're not going to lie, some maintenance will be necessary. Because a terrace is a large horizontal surface that is also outside, it will have to deal with harsh conditions. It will get dirty and weathered quickly. But you can counter that with proper maintenance!
Have you used oil to protect your patio? Then you should clean and treat the terrace at least once a year. Preferably twice: once before spring/summer, to let it recover from winter and prepare it for the influences of the sun. And another time after summer, for the opposite reason.
A stained wooden deck is also best cleaned at least once or twice a year. However, you don't have to reapply the stain with the same frequency. A usual maintenance cycle is to re-stain every two to three years. Just check the condition of the stain every yara. If the colour fades or you start to see cracks, it is time to put a new coat.
If you are doing maintenance cleaning, it is better not to use a pressure washer as it can damage the stain layer.
The best products for your wooden terrace
A good result stands or falls with the products you use. Below are the best products to clean and protect your wooden deck.
Is your terrace made of a very specific type of wood and in doubt about whether you need something special? Our paint guide explores in-depth which stain you can use for which type of wood.
Terrace cleaners
Terrace stain
Terrace oil
Useful tools
Ready to start?
In this video, Xyladecor shows how a wooden deck is cleaned and treated with an anti-slip stain.
