An easy question?

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I have this deck, made of cedar, which gets as slippery as ice. It is in a shady spot, and we have very wet winters, though not very cold, usually. I think there must be some sort of mold, or diatoms or something growing on the wood, although it does not APPEAR to have anything growing on it.

I'm thinking about washing it with a dilute bleach solution, just to try to kill whatever has set up housekeeping on the wood, but want to know if anyone else has had this problem, and how they solved it. I cured the problem on the most dangerous part (the steps) by nailing down some old pieces of "asphalt" shingles to the treads, but that would be pretty ugly to cover the whole deck with. Not to mention that it woulc cause its premature demise.

Any ideas?

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), January 29, 2000

Answers

My local hardware, one of a chain, sells deck cleaner, also shingle cleaner for those shingles that are under overhanging branches. Check with your local hardware for such remedies. I think that it is some form of alga. I worked for a greenhouse for a time, and we had to use bleach to keep the slime down on walkways.

-- greenbeanman (greenbeanman@ourtownusa.net), January 29, 2000.

Well, the bleach might help. Change the color of the deck though. But if only part of it is in the shady area, having it turn lighter might just get it to match the exposed area.

There isn't something like polyuerathane on it is there? Spar varnish, anything? Shouldn't be, but a previous occupant might have had some problems with molds and rot. If there is, go to an old line paint store and have them explain to you how to mix up a non-skid finish. Basically just super fine sand mixed into whatever they think you should put over the finish on the deck.

If the wood isn't coated with something, are you using a stain or sealer on it? Ask at the paint store if there is some alternative. What you're using might be slippery in general or at least under your conditions. In any case a good lumberyard, hardware, or paint store in your area has probably seen this problem before and can help.

In the meantime, get different shoes. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), January 29, 2000.


I have often used Kitty litter in the winter on slippery spots, it is clay, come spring I just swept it away. I have useed it uder tires that were slipping on ice, I use it in the shop to soak up oil and grease, dog puke, anything like that. I buy the cheapest, generic brand, I keep a 5 gallon pail of it in my shop, try it!

-- Mudlover (redgate@echoweb.net), January 29, 2000.

Greenbeanman, I'm aware of this type of product, but have never used it. Someone told me that it is mostly bleach, which is one reason I thought diluted bleach would be an alternative. You say you used to use bleach to keep greenhouse walkways from getting slick. Do you remember how concentrated the mix was?

Gerbil, you're a riot! "get different shoes" Hah! Actually, the house is a rental; I built it; there is no finish on the cedar, as I have had even douglas fir decks last over twenty years with no finish in this climate. Changing the color is SOME concern, but if the bleach weren't too strong, I was hoping it wouldn't be a problem. I guess I could just tell my renters to wear golf shoes, or loggers "corks". Mudlover, this is an idea I hadn't thought of, although I did consider (briefly) sprinkling sand on the deck. But I am concerned about kitty litter or sand getting tracked into the house. Besides, what if my renter's cat thinks that the deck's kitty litter needs to be put to the test?

If I dont' hear from someone with actual experience wit bleach or this deck cleaner stuff (Greenbeanman??), I'll just start experimenting on small areas of the deck with very dilute solutions of bleach. I would rather have the benefit of someone else's experience, though, of course.

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), January 31, 2000.


Hi jumpoff joe,

Probably not warm enough to do this yet, but you could mix sand in some floor or deck paint and apply it. That way stuff doesn't get tracked into the house and should stay put. I used to sell building materials about a million years ago, and we used to tell people to do that. Also there was a product called Spantex (?) that was a rubberized coating with a sort of built in texture to it. Not too aesthetic, though.

Have you got a railing?

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), February 01, 2000.



Oh yeah, you have to sand and prime or stain the deck first, of course....

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), February 01, 2000.

Thanks, sheepish (you don't really sound sheepish),

Thanks for the suggestion. I would rather not have to paint the deck, but if I can't correct the problem in another way, that's what I'll have to do. Either that or cut down all the shade trees, so the deck can dry out in the sun occassionally (just kidding, fellow tree huggers)

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), February 01, 2000.


Oh. Yes, I have a railing. Why do you ask, Sheepish?

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), February 01, 2000.

Hi Jumpoff,

Re: railing...

Safety if it's slippery, that's all. I have taken a couple of falls on slippery wood decks before (my own!)

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), February 05, 2000.


Dear jumpoff joe, We had a deck on a house we sold a few years back. My husband built it with pressure treated wood. That thing was very slippery, when it was slightly wet and when it rained it was an ice skating rink. There was no shade on it and in the summer it was hot enough to fry an egg on (although I never actually tried it). That 1st year was heck on the kids barefeet(the splinters). They always seemed to get infected or almost. So we painted it with a colored stain (thompsons waterproofing i think). Was still slippery so we broke down and bought one of those outdoor carpets. Which solved the slippery problem. We had to nail long,narrow scrap pieces of wood over the edge to hold down the carpet. The wind would pick it up and it would blow around. The deck was 12'x 20' and 7' off the ground. we lived there 6 years after the deck was built and did not need to change carpet also it probably could of used a 2nd coat of paint the year we sold but, we put so much money in that house and had to sell it at a lot less than we paid for it. We decided to let the new owners worry about it. We live in Philadelphia, Pa and the winter's are mostly wet and icy with little snow. Summers are usually really hot 90-100 and some rain every couple a weeks or so. oh ya never tried the bleach, but did clean it just some soap and water.

-- darlene bachovin (winterlove@theglobe.com), February 25, 2000.


HI, again, everyone. I said I'd let you know what I ended up doing. I am not sure if I have actually "ended up" yet, but here's what I've found out.

I couldn't find my mop, so I tied an old dead tee shirt to a piece of dowel and mopped the deck with about one third bleach, two thirds water. Not strong enough. I kept making it stronger. Finally, I mopped the whold deck with straight bleach. This was successful in removing all the obvious yucky black stains, which I thought were mildew, but am now wondering if they weren't stains from all the leaves and needles. I had to hit the worst spots two or three times. But the deck looks beautiful-- almost like new.

The bleach, however, made the deck even slipperier! I had to wash and wash and wash to get it back to where it was to start with.

Right now, I'm waiting for the rain to wash off any residue. It's been raining off and on for a few days, so I should go down there and check it out.

I'm really wondering if the shade is as much of a problem as the leaves and needles. I think that the renters may not have swepth them off the deck for most of the winter, as they said they never went out there much in the winter. I know that wet leaves seem to generate a very slippery substance, regardless what surface they are on.

I'm hoping that the new renters will try keeping the deck cleaner, and that will help. Or just wait 'till dry weather to use it, I guess.

Dear jumpoff joe, We had a deck on a house we sold a few years back. My husband built it with pressure treated wood. That thing was very slippery, when it was slightly wet and when it rained it was an ice skating rink. There was no shade on it and in the summer it was hot enough to fry an egg on (although I never actually tried it). That 1st year was heck on the kids barefeet(the splinters). They always seemed to get infected or almost. So we painted it with a colored stain (thompsons waterproofing i think). Was still slippery so we broke down and bought one of those outdoor carpets. Which solved the slippery problem. We had to nail long,narrow scrap pieces of wood over the edge to hold down the carpet. The wind would pick it up and it would blow around. The deck was 12'x 20' and 7' off the ground. we lived there 6 years after the deck was built and did not need to change carpet also it probably could of used a 2nd coat of paint the year we sold but, we put so much money in that house and had to sell it at a lot less than we paid for it. We decided to let the new owners worry about it. We live in Philadelphia, Pa and the winter's are mostly wet and icy with little snow. Summers are usually really hot 90-100 and some rain every couple a weeks or so. oh ya never tried the bleach, but did clean it just some soap and water. Darlene, that's a good solution to your problem. I personally use pressure treated wood for posts, joists, and girders, but not for the actual decking, for the reason you brought up: spinters. Splinters from pressure treated are not supposed to be at all good for your body. I'm told that some types of p.t. have arsenic in them. I don't want to have that in ME! I'm a builder, and get these splinters pretty often. Normally, if I can't extract a splinter, I just wait and dig them all out at the same time after work. But with the p.t., I make sure and dig them out immediately.

For those of you who are interested in putting carpet on your deck, it sounds great--IF the decking boards are p.t. Otherwise, the capet may rot out the deck.

You could even use used indoor carpet, and replace it every few years; my friends use this for all their paths in their garden. They get it free out of the dumpsters at the local carpet stores.

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), February 26, 2000.


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