Lethal Decking!

[muckdiva]

Can anyone recommend a way to stop decking becoming as slippery as an ice rink in all this rain? TIA

[roitelet]

Its probably algae. Give it a scrub with bleach to remove it and then scatter bicarbonate of soda over it to prevent it growing back. Algae and moss like acid conditions and the bicarb will turn the surface alkaline thus preventing it coming back at least for the time being.

[Chestnut]

Some ancient stone steps in the village were similarly slippy.
Not everyone agreed with the person who cut a diagonal criss cross pattern into them with an angle grinder, but they are less slippy in the rain.
Might work on decking too, but could let water into the wood and shorten its lifespan?

[veggiechicken]

I put chicken wire on some wooden steps for a grip.
Having had decking once, I'd never have it again because its so slippy.

[mcdood]

You could blast with a jet washer to remove algae or brush in sharp sand. Depends on how precious your decking finish is.

[mothhawk]

Can anyone recommend a way to stop decking becoming as slippery as an ice rink in all this rain? TIA

Chicken wire, or you could scatter coarse sand on it.

Personally, I would rip it up, dry it out, and burn it.

Mr Titchmarsh should never be forgiven for the trend he began in the 1990's.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...decking-craze/

[bikermike]

you can get grip strips to go on it. Not aesthetically pleasing, but less likely to go base-over-apex. My parents have it on their decking for a path from backdoor to the steps off.


Cutting into the wood will seriously shorten it's lifespan as it will have been pressure-treated which forces the preservative in a few mm. Cut into it and you expose untreated wood.

Chicken wire gives good grip, but will abrade the wood over time.

[Scarlet]

Some ancient stone steps in the village were similarly slippy.
Not everyone agreed with the person who cut a diagonal criss cross pattern into them with an angle grinder, but they are less slippy in the rain.
Might work on decking too, but could let water into the wood and shorten its lifespan?

Really?? Sorry that is disgraceful A good scrub every now and then would have worked or even some kind of gripper/iron treads that could be taken up in the summer would have been a better solution.

[quanglewangle]

You think garden decking is bad - try jumping off a boat to tie off, onto a 60cm wide marina finger, slipping right across it and and into the oggin; in the winter.

Never did that again...

Seriously though, endorse bleach but not so sure about bicarb. Wood needs to be kept on the acid side. We bleach our railway sleepers (set in at ground level to make a path) a couple of times over the winter but always neutralise with cheap pickling vinegar afterwards. (Same for teak boat decks)

[Nicos]

We used to lightly pressure hose our hardwood patio a couple of times a year.

You can buy none slip varnish to paint onto wooden floor surfaces/stairs over here...is there something similar in the uk?
I imagine there must be some weatherproof, nonslip yacht varnish you could use which would work?????

[Nicos]

Really?? Sorry that is disgraceful A good scrub every now and then would have worked or even some kind of gripper/iron treads that could be taken up in the summer would have been a better solution.

Agree...How shameful to deface something like that.

[muckdiva]

Thanks, some good tips there. The decking is pretty old so will probably need replacing with something else at some point but hard to know what exactly - we have quite a few different ground levels to contend with so the decking and steps were quite a good solution in that respect.

[Nicos]

Thought so....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blackfriar-.../dp/B007OTI5PM

Other makes and places to buy from will be available!

[Nicos]

^^^^ not sure how antislip that would be once covered in algae though?????

[roitelet]

I have used the Anti slip traction tape on wooden stairs and it works well. It’s been there for a couple of years now and no problems.