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Hi all.
We've recently purchased our first home and it has a huge beautiful deck that runs the length of the house, however we have noticed lately that the colour from it seems to be 'running' (for lack of a better word).
It sticks to the bottom of our feet and tracks maroon onto our carpets when we come inside, it stains your feet and socks if you step onto the deck without shoes on, and it is running through to the structure boards on the underside of the deck through the gaps (picture below).
My father in law was the one who told us that the lengths were composite, but in all my research to find a solution for this, I'm finding that the common consensus is that composite wood shouldn't leak colour, so now I don't know what to think!
We really want to try and stop the colour from getting on (literally) everything, so any thoughts or suggestions for a solution would be greatly appreciated!
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, @TabithaM. It's brilliant to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about decking.
Firstly, we need to determine whether your deck is made from composite decking or timber decking with a deteriorated coating. Composite decking typically shouldn't bleed colour like this, so if that's indeed what you have, there might be a manufacturing defect or a specific issue with the product.
If it's timber, the staining could result from a degraded coating or stain. In that case, the best approach would be to resurface the deck by sanding it down to remove the old coating and then applying a new one designed to withstand the elements.
Could you please upload a close-up image of an exposed end of one of the decking boards? This will help me confirm the material and provide more accurate advice.
Looking forward to your update. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Mitchell
Hi there, thanks for getting back to me! This is a picture of a cross section we've cut off.
Hello @TabithaM
Thank you for posting that extra photo of your deck. It appears to be composite decking as it does not show any timber fibres or patterns in the middle. It's truly puzzling that you are getting some sort of excretion from the decking panels. Can you please place the cut portion under running water and brush it with a bristle brush to see if any of the surface colour runs off. Is it possible to brush all of the running colour off the surface or does it keep rising up from the cut panel?
Another avenue you can explore is to ask the former owner of the house and find out if they stained or oiled the surface of the deck. Was there any type of cleaning agent placed on its surface? Can I also please request for a photo of the actual stain itself that is dripping on your floor. Have you tried to clean the surface with detergent and water? Please allow me to confer with my team-mates regarding your decking panel.
Thank you for your patience.
Eric
