How to keep wooden benches clean???

[mattspinniken]

I use treated wood for my bench tops and they tend to get an ugly green around the pots that get watered. Does anyone have a tip or two to remove that and to keep it away? I was thinking about power washing. Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[bluone23]

I use linseed oil on the benchtop and no green on them.

 

[Shibui]

I believe that power washing is not recommended for treated softwood. Power washer is strong enough to abrade the wood so leaving more ridges and furrows to hold more water and increase algae and moss growth.
Oxalic acid timber cleaner should remove the green. Vinegar may also do a similar job. There are various products to remove mold from timber try searching for local products.
Green algae/mold will always come back when there's moisture as on bonsai bench. Painting the timber with a good decking paint/stain/oil will slow it down but all need to be reapplied every 6-12 months to be effective.
The alternative is to learn to live with green benches.

 

[mattspinniken]

I believe that power washing is not recommended for treated softwood. Power washer is strong enough to abrade the wood so leaving more ridges and furrows to hold more water and increase algae and moss growth.
Oxalic acid timber cleaner should remove the green. Vinegar may also do a similar job. There are various products to remove mold from timber try searching for local products.
Green algae/mold will always come back when there's moisture as on bonsai bench. Painting the timber with a good decking paint/stain/oil will slow it down but all need to be reapplied every 6-12 months to be effective.
The alternative is to learn to live with green benches.

Thanks that is very helpful.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I like the green.

 

[Underdog]

I went with composite decking for bench tops. Powerwash it, bleach it whatever needed.

 

[jandslegate]

I use cedar fence pickets and non treated pine. I torch them with a smaller propane torch, brush and then apply oil. The non treated lumber is a little less expensive ( not much anymore) and I like the aesthetic. Also not ideal to burn treated lumber anyway. After a few years it's good to touch them up but I normally am able to clean up simply with a rag and elbow grease. The table and box were pine/white wood. The second pic was a cedar picket. It's not even necessary to torch the cedar but it does help protect it. They do still weather and fade but I don't have as many issues with algae etc.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I use treated 2x2s set about 1/2” apart. This gives good drainage and plenty of air circulation—no green wood jere.

 

[yashu]

At your local “big box” hardware store you can find industrial vinegar (acetic acid) that will knock out most green stuff. It’s with the cleaning supplies. FYI; you can also mix it 3:1 with water and a squirt of dish detergent and it makes a great non-glyphosate weed killer

 

[jeremy_norbury]

I changed wood planks to composite planks after 12 years - wood just rots eventually in my almost permanently damp environment.

MS Bench rebuild 2020

Explore this photo album by Jerry Norbury on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[Maiden69]

I changed wood planks to composite planks after 12 years - wood just rots eventually in my almost permanently damp environment.

MS Bench rebuild 2020

Explore this photo album by Jerry Norbury on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

The problem with composite is that it is not as strong as wood, and you will need to brace it at shorter intervals. My bench is treated 2x4 and 8' long, I have 2 posts that are 6' apart. If I was changing it to composite I would have to brace it every 12-16" for it to not sag. My deck is composite, we have 12 on center bracing through it and I still feel it give when I walk on it. I think somebody here did some work on composite as well and experienced the same thing.

As far as getting the green out of treated wood, a bleach cleaner will work, after that you will need to let it dry completely and seal it. Tung oil, linseed oil, any solvent/oil based sealer will work. Water sealers suck, as they tend to deposit the polymers on top of the wood, while the oils/solvents absorb into the wood and last longer.