Bamboo decking – Care and Maintenance Guide

Keep your bamboo decking looking its best

Helpful tips to keep your Plantation Bamboo decking clean, beautiful and performing well for years to come.

Bamboo is a natural product, so its colour, grain and surface character will evolve with weather and use. Find the guidance for your Bamboo X-treme or Bamboo N-durance decking below.

Simple tips for keeping your decking looking its best

Some natural surface changes are normal with a natural bamboo deck. Surface cracking and loose fibers may result from repeated wet and dry weather conditions. This does not affect the durability or structural integrity of the decking.

These practical tips apply to both Bamboo N-durance and Bamboo X-treme decking.

1

Sweep regularly

Keep the decking free from dust, leaves and dirt build-up with regular sweeping.

2

Clean at least once a year

Wash or scrub the decking at least once a year with a good-quality deck cleaning product. Rinse off any residue with clean water.

3

Smooth rough areas when needed

Light sanding with a sanding block can smooth surface cracking or loose fibers. A stiff broom, such as a silicon carbide broom, may also help.

A note about pre-oiled decking

Both Bamboo X-treme decking and Bamboo N-durance decking are pre-oiled during production. This can sometimes make footprints or similar marks more visible soon after installation. These marks should dry off and disappear as the decking acclimatises and naturally weathers, or can be removed with a wash/scrub with a deck cleaner product.

Which bamboo decking do you have?

The care and maintenance advice below is tailored to each product. Choose your decking type to find the right tips for your Bamboo decking.

Bamboo X-treme Decking

Bamboo X-treme decking is thermally treated during production to improve its durability and stability for outdoor use. It can be left to naturally silver-off in colour without additional oiling, or you can choose to oil it if you prefer to maintain or change its colour.

When installed, Bamboo X-treme decking is a brown to dark brown colour, which turns into a lighter caramel colour several weeks after installation.
Over time the natural bamboo grain will become more obvious as it weathers to a silver/grey colour. If preferred the decking can be oiled to a colour of choice.
The best time to oil the decking is after letting the deck weather for at least 3-4 months.
When oiling the decking, use a water-based oil or saturator that penetrates the boards. Always test the oil first to check that you are happy with the colour and finish.
See oiling tips below.

Bamboo N-durance Decking

Bamboo N-durance decking is pre-oiled during production. Annual oiling is required to continue protection against fungi and help maintain its caramel colour.

The suggested oil to use is a water-based oil – one that penetrates/saturates the decking and has anti-fungal properties – like WOCA oil – which comes in a range of colour options (Teak colour is the one applied at manufacture).
You can use something similar if preferred however we would suggest testing the oil first to make sure you’re happy with the look and feel, colour, etc.
When a new oil finish is not applied once a year, depending on the situation, the decking may change in colour. Surface (superficial) fungi may occur, but this has no effect on the material’s integrity or fitness for use.

Using the right deck cleaner and oil

Choose a good-quality deck cleaning product (like Hit the Deck from Wet & Forget) and a water-based oil that penetrates or saturates the decking. It is important to always test the oil on a small area first to check the colour and finish.