Common Deck Repairs That Need Attending To By Homeowners

All decks, even the ones that are well maintained and well protected from harsh climate will finally require some deck repair work done.  The experts, with many years of industry experience, say that if you do not quickly make the needed deck repairs, the cost for the growing repair work that will be required will begin to mount. Proper deck repair and installation can keep a deck looking like new and be of sound construction for many years, based on the type of wood, the location of your deck, and the quality of the original deck builder’s craftsmanship.

Wood Rot

Wood rot is one of the deck repairs that need to be addressed as soon as possible. Some obvious causes of wood rot are leaking gutters, water pooling on an uneven deck & railings, and stairs where the seal has worn off.

In the beginning, the cause of the rot must be identified. In case it is a broken gutter this should be fixed. Then all rotten boards must be pulled out and replaced with new sealed timber boards.  As the new boards will not be of the same color as your aged timber boards, you may want to re-stain the entire deck, so that the boards blend in. Otherwise, you can paint your deck. Painting a deck has both pluses and minuses.

Boards Faded in Color

Over time without regular maintenance, the timber boards of even covered decks will fade often into a gray color as they age.  To restore your deck you can try cleaning it. And if that is not good enough you may opt for sanding the boards to bare the natural timber underneath. Undeniably whether you clean or sand your boards you will have to seal them once more, to protect them. There is furthermore the option of painting your deck.

Cracked or Warped Boards

Cracked or warped deck boards obviously must be removed and replaced with new ones.  If most of your deck is sound, then replacing a few deck boards is a simple fix. The fastening of the boards needs to be removed, followed by the boards themselves lifted, and a precise replacement cut. After that, the boards should be either screwed or nailed in place. Then obviously, you need to stain and seal the replacement boards to try and blend them in as close as possible to the existing boards.

Protruding Nails

Protruding nails are a hazard and they need to be pulled out or re-inserted into the timber. It is always a good idea to remove a protruding nail and replace it with a screw, instead of hammering down the nail to only find it soon protrudes again. If you need to keep uniformity of fasteners it is good to replace the nail with a new one of similar size.

If you have a decking board with several protruding nails the best solution is to remove all the fasteners, lift out the boards, and replace them. This time, turning it over with the underside of the board now showing on top of the deck.

The Sum Up

With regular deck repair and installation, you can make your deck look like new restored to its original condition.