Composite deck haze

[westbrook215]

I have a deckorators composite deck that has a white haze. It could be hard water stains, salt, scaling or failure of the deck. It’s about 8 years old.

anyone see this happen next to a saltwater pool?
I’ve tried cleaning with...
Deckmax E2
CLR
White vinegar
Simple green
Bleach
Dawn

I can scratch it off with my nail. Once it is hit with water it looks fine but then it dries to this white mess.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Try taking a piece of very fine sand paper and polish a very inconspicuous spot. Then wet it down and let it dry. Does the white haze go away?

 

[westbrook215]

I’ll give that a shot.

 

[westbrook215]

Used 800 grit in a small area and that helps somewhat but the decking has grooves so it’s impossible to get at it with a sander.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

So what that test tells me is that it is not something that is on your deck from the pool (like calcium or salt scale), it's the deck itself. Composite decking materials are not "maintenance free" despite what the building material suppliers will tell you. Composite materials like Trex and all the others, last longer than real wood, but they are subject to same wear & tear as any other material and the exposure to sun and the elements will degrade the surface layer. It's a polymer material, sometimes a polymer with wood fibers blended in, and it can only stand so much beating.

I think what you need to do is very aggressively clean the deck with a high quality, composite deck cleaner (there are many brands of that). You can use a power washer too but you want to make sure it's on a very low setting so it doesn't damage the composite material. And then, when the deck is clean and dry, you need to apply a composite sealer (again, lots of good products out there) that is either clear or tinted to the color that you want. Most clear sealers will restore the original color of the composite material.

That's my opinion based on what you've posted here.

 

[westbrook215]

Appreciate your suggestions. What’s interesting is the deck looks just fine when it’s wet. As the water evaporates you see the white haze.

the previous owner must have waxed it because it used to be very slippery the first few years and was looking good.

ill try your suggestions.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Appreciate your suggestions. What’s interesting is the deck looks just fine when it’s wet. As the water evaporates you see the white haze.

the previous owner must have waxed it because it used to be very slippery the first few years and was looking good.

ill try your suggestions.

Makes sense. The water is basically filling in the surface roughness that has developed from the exposure to the elements. If you can remove any previously applied sealants and really get it clean down to the composite, then a high quality sealer will fill in all the imperfections and give you back that “wet look”. They even make dealers that contain grit in them that you can’t see but adds a non-slip characteristic to the deck.