In this episode of The Handyguys podcast The Handyguys discuss Ipe Deck Maintenance, how to clean it and keep it looking awesome.
Ipe Deck Maintenance
Brian’s Ipe deck looked great when it was complete. Eighteen months later is was looking a bit dirty. The wood was still in perfect condition, no checking, no splits or splinters, it was just a bit dingy. After a bit of maintenance it looked great again.
To keep the deck looking new it will take some annual maintenance.
The Handyguys recommend the following maintenance procedure for all decks:
- Hose off any spills, mud, etc as needed.
- Don’t allow any items that rust to sit on the deck (propane tanks, metal furniture, etc).
- Sweep off any leaves
As needed thoroughly clean and re-oil the Ipe deck. This may be once a year or every other year depending on how much sun you get. over time the re-oil step will not be needed as often.
Ipe deck cleaning solution:
- One Gallon warm water
- 1 cup TSP
- One Quart bleach (if you do not have mold or algae you can reduce the amount of bleach)
Use a scrub brush on a long handle and thoroughly wash the deck with the cleaning solution. Rinse thoroughly and let dry completely.
After cleaning the deck you can sand any problem areas.
| When the ipe deck is dry (at least a day) then re-oil it. Use either Ipe Oil or Penofin Hardwood Oil |  |
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Congrats to going to an audio format as now! Maybe I can get some of my other crew members to listen to you now.
As for the post, I always suggest that people apply a pressure washer to their deck once every 6 months to clean it and remove any possible mud or dirt, that might of accumulated on the deck.
Pressure washers are handy but can also cause damage. You need to be really careful with them. Most normal dirt can be hosed off without a pressure washer.
It is easy to handle and best way for cleaning….
That’s great, may have to employ this on my decking. Suspect it will give the garden a new lease of life for BBQ season!
I had read that you do NOT want oil based products, but the water based ones on the decking since it: 1. resists multiple applications, 2. does a poor job of keeping the UV from the wood, 3. will be sticky after application, 4. will need to be reapplied after 3-6 months.
This is a really great post, especially since I myself am about to renovate my deck. Unfortunately, I live in an area prone to raining especially in the spring. I’m a one man reno team and I can’t do the whole deck quickly enough where I won’t risk rain interference. do you recommend a tarp or shelter solution like http://shelterstructures.com/ ? Your input is appreciated.
No, I dont think I could ever justify the cost of a structure for just refinishing a deck. Any sanding stripping or prep can be interrupted by rain and most finishes can be rained on within a day. You should be able to find a window of time for most any deck. Get some help if you need to do it faster.
Should the same cleaning process be done on a newly installed Ipe deck?
Also any thoughts on Andreson Clark stain on Ipe?
No need to do the bleach.tsp cleaning on the new ipe deck. if there is mud and crud just wash it off with a hose or pressure washer (only if really needed). My initial impressions of the Anderson Clark is that its good, the color is more red than the Ipe oil. I loved the Ipe Oil look on the new deck but it didn’t last as long as I hopped. I have just resigned myself to washing and re-stain every spring. Anderson Clark will be what I use for the next year or two.