Ipe decks look fantastic due to their elegant appearance. With the incredible appeal of dense and durable wood species, ipe decking Florida can withstand a lot of use and even any harsh climate. Natural hardwood like ipe decking doesn’t need much maintenance and any material that is exposed to elements all year round, including events like:
- damaging sunlight exposure
- foot traffic
- tracked grit and dirt
- even red wine and BBQ sauce spills
With all these, Ipe hardwood requires some maintenance. So, it stays looking its best.
Deck maintenance routine
The first step to ipe maintenance is to get into the habit of making a routine cleaning. For the deck maintenance routine, it doesn’t take much. You only need to get a good outdoor broom and sweep the deck once a week for any possible debris. These are the following factors that can cause water build-up and stains:
- Leaves
- Stones
- Dirt
You must ensure the spaces between the deck boards drain properly. It is the key to a long-lasting, beautiful deck. The next thing is removing all the furniture on the deck, including the BBQ, when you have one. Use the large screwdriver or any similar object that loosens any built-up debris between deck boards, specifically near the joists where it can’t fall through.
Instead of mopping out the debris, you can use a shop vac to vacuum it, then rinse the deck entirely with a garden hose. You are not recommended to use a pressure washer to clear the ipe deck or to clear debris to damage the wood fibers and to roughen the surface.
Treat the stain correctly!
When the furniture is off your deck, you must look for stains from spilled drinks or food and then check the area around the BBQ for spilled grease marks. For areas with planters or flower boxes with pollen or mildew marks or stains from water build-up. These can be cleaned with a scrubbing brush and deck cleaner solution. There are various cleaners for both wood decks and composite decks.
Ipe requires low-maintenance
Even Ipe wood decking requires low maintenance, still, it is a big help when doing a regular maintenance routine. It doesn’t only help keep the decking looking neat and clean, it also prevents adding the old look of the sturdy wood.
Ipe decking has been acquired and installed in homeowners’ homes today because they are sure that these are a nice addition to their homes, especially on patios.
