How To Repair A Deck

• Backyard & Garden

Can Your Deck Concluding Another Season?

After a full summer of entertaining, your backyard deck may be looking worse for wear. Follow this guide to determine what types of damage can be remedied with a little DIY, and what may require the help of a professional to go on your deck fit for many more than years.

Photo: istockphoto.com

A well-congenital deck increases your living and entertaining space and boosts your domicile's value, with a nice 70 percent toll recoup when you decide to sell. But with heavy use and constant exposure to the elements, a deck's wooden surfaces require a off-white amount of attention and maintenance to retain their looks and stay sturdy and safe season after season.

Over time, a deck is subject field to a number of issues, both cosmetic and structural. Has your deck seen ameliorate days? Do you wonder if it can last one more flavour, or do you think it'due south time to completely scrap it and start fresh? Read through this list of six common deck problems to see what repairs your deck may need and to help you decide whether to DIY the fixes or phone call in a pro to accept intendance of the damage.

Discoloration: Correct with new stain.

Discoloration isn't a condom outcome for your deck, only it certain is unsightly. Fixing discoloration involves stripping the existing color off the boards, washing the wood, and applying a deck stain with good UV protection. This is a simple deck repair that fifty-fifty a novice DIYer can handle. Because inclement conditions tin can foil a staining projection, it'due south best to accept this on in the late summer or early autumn when temperatures are mild (below eighty degrees Fahrenheit), there's less humidity, and there's no call for pelting in the forecast.

Photograph: istockphoto.com

Glace surfaces: Salvage with a pressure level washer.

If y'all skid around on your deck like information technology'due south a slick cake of ice, the result is probably a large buildup of algae or moisture. This can exist easily remedied with a practiced pressure level-washing to clear off any slippery spots that are unsafe to walk on. Ability-wash your deck once a year in early jump, later the snow has melted and before you pull out all your grilling and patio equipment.

Cracks: Fill up and seal.

Although cracking on a deck isn't attractive, it'southward usually just a normal sign of aging. If the cracks are less than six inches long, all y'all demand to do is make full them in with latex wood filler and then terminate off the deck with sealant. If, however, the cracks are longer than that, you'll need to pry off the affected boards and check the underside for damage. If the underside of the lath looks make clean, flip information technology over and reattach it with deck screws to the joists; if in that location are cracks on the underside, replace the board completely.

The forest on your deck is constantly expanding and contracting every bit humidity levels and the seasons modify. To get the all-time results, perform maintenance on cracks every year in the fall, before the dry out air of wintertime sets in, which tin cause existing cracks to deepen and create new ones.

Rotted boards: Supplant right away.

When boards rot, h2o damage or insects are the typical culprits. If ignored, rot can spread and cause serious structural deterioration, so you should tackle wood rot i board at a time. (This is a corking deck repair project for the more than advanced DIYer.) Brainstorm by removing nails and screws using a hammer and pry bar, and then remove the rotted board. If necessary, employ a circular saw to cut out the board, but be careful non to slice surrounding boards. Finally, measure and cut your new lath to size and spiral it into the joist. If the wood rot is widespread, this job may be improve left to the pros equally you may need multiple boards—and fifty-fifty joists—replaced.

Large gaps between boards: Shut them upwardly.

When your deck is laid, ⅛- to ¼-inch gaps are intentionally incorporated for drainage. Over time, the wood volition inevitably shrink, causing wider and more troublesome gaps to grade in between the deck boards. These can potentially become tripping hazards, so it'southward all-time to remedy broad gaps right abroad by replacing all the boards with new ones that have been cutting to size—a challenging deck repair, but doable in a weekend.

To minimize future gapping in betwixt your deck boards, it's of import to understand that wood boards take a range of moisture content (MC) depending on how they're treated and dried. The best wood wet content for outdoor projects will depend on your area'south climate, and so inquire the experts at your local lumberyard when purchasing, and double-check that all your deck boards have the same MC so they dry uniformly. When you're ready to install, infinite boards evenly beyond the deck, either tightly if they'll shrink or with about ⅛ inch betwixt pairs.

Photo: istockphoto.com

Wobbles: Call a pro.

The last thing yous desire when you lot walk out onto your deck is to feel the structure lurch. Wobbliness could be due to termite damage, prolonged wood rot, or poor installation. Any time yous have structural damage in your abode, it'southward best to call in an experienced professional immediately who can right the issue or assistance you install a brand-new and, most importantly, prophylactic deck.

Exist certain to vet your contractor properly by researching online reviews and getting referrals from trusted friends or neighbors. Check that the person who will exist working on your domicile has feel with the type of deck repair yous need so you can avert the hassle—and extra expense—of mistakes. If you're not upwardly for DIYing the smaller deck repairs, notice a skilful handyman who tin be trusted to do the job correct without charging you an arm and a leg.

The content is paid advertising created in partnership with Puls. Its facts and opinions are those of BobVila.com.

Source: https://www.bobvila.com/articles/deck-repair-puls/

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