Treating and Cleaning decking for outdoor use
SERVICING AND TREATING YOUR BAMBOO DECKING AFTER LAYING
The darker version of pre-oiled Pavibamboo decking does not need to be oiled after it has been laid for around eighteen months; the following cleaning and treatment instructions aim to extend the decking’s service life and to keep it together as closely as possible once it has been laid.
GIVING GENERAL CONSIDERATION
Whenever you choose a wood for outdoor use, you need to know that it will be subject to stress caused by extreme hot and cold conditions, high dryness or humidity levels, snow, rain or wind; even if treated, not every wood is able to withstand years of adverse weather conditions without suffering too many consequences. Greying, blemishes, distortions, or minor influences in between one axle and the other, small cracks by the heads or on the surface, slight surface roughness several years down the line are all common consequences which occur regularly on the core of any decking and as such should be accepted; you need to know that you will not be able to preserve decking in the same way that you can maintain an indoor parquet; on the other hand, you will be able to enjoy a pleasant, warm and aesthetically pleasing material.
ROUTINE CLEANING
– sweep and wash periodically using water and soap.
PERIODIC OIL APPLICATION
– in order to maintain the original colour for as long as possible, simply apply a nutrient oil with UV sunray inhibitors; because it is a particularly hard core, we would advise you to use a diluent for decking oil so that the nutrient treatment inside the material is able to penetrate more easily;
– sweep and wash the surface to remove any dust, dirt, or anything else prior to spreading the oil;
– do not use a pressure cleaner for washing decking; the high-pressure water jet shunts the nutrient oil already present inside the dashboard, leaving the decking unprotected;
– do not apply the oil when the dashboard is wet, or even damp; wait until it is completely dry before spreading the oil;
– apply the oil when the weather is good; it should not rain after the nutrient oil has been spread;
– apply the oil using a special disk or brush; remove any excess oil with a cotton cloth after it has been applied for ten minutes; over the next 48 hours, the oil will penetrate the decking and it will become nourished thus preventing any ingrowth, cracking, etc.
– always follow the directions for use specified in the data sheet for the oil you have chosen.
This operation should be repeated approximately once every six months, and is recommended for nourishing the wood, for retaining the original colour and for avoiding too many tiny cracks, especially at the ends of the slats.