LESLIE: Mike needs some help cleaning the deck. What can we help you with? What’s going on?
MIKE: I really enjoy your show. I have a composite deck that I put down. This is actually the second season. And I’m getting some mold and I don’t really understand why and I don’t know what the proper way to clean it is. I mean there’s no moisture accumulation. It’s out in the sun all day long. Is it a propensity towards getting mold? Composite?
TOM: Yes, actually composite is part wood and because it’s part wood it’s going to get mildew. It’s not really technically mold but it’s a mildew; the same mildew that could form on a fence or a roof.
MIKE: Ah.
TOM: And it does need to be cleaned periodically. So not unusual and while composites are certainly more maintenance-free than any wood deck product out there …
LESLIE: Mm-hmm.
TOM: … they do need to be cleaned. There’s a number of different deck products that are available to do just that.
LESLIE: Yeah, there’s actually a good one from the Flood Company and it’s their DEKSWOOD Deck Cleaner and Brightener. And it’s made for wood but it also works on vinyl surfaces and composites and it does a great job of sort of restoring and refreshing the color on the surface but also getting rid of mold or mildew or ground-in dirt and debris and that’s really going to help freshen the surface as well. And you should do this seasonally. I would do it either at the beginning or the end of the season. Usually it makes sense to do it in the beginning because it’s gotten all of the dirt and debris from the winter season. But if you’ve got the mildew growing on it now you want to tackle it before it’s got all winter to sort of sit there and grow more.
MIKE: Gee, and here I went ahead and got composite because I thought all I had to do was hose it down every once in a while.
TOM: Well, you do. You just have to use a cleaner when you do that. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. It’s still a great choice.
LESLIE: I mean you’re not refinishing it every few years, so that’s good.
TOM: It’s easy for us to say. We don’t have to help him. (Tom and Leslie laugh)
MIKE: Right, right, right. I mean it’s not a little – you know, it’s like a 20×40 deck.
LESLIE: Wow, that’s pretty nice!
TOM: I hear you. In the years that I used to be a contractor we called those aircraft carriers.
MIKE: Right. (laughing)
TOM: Mike, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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