When a deck starts to look tired, the first question people ask me is whether it has to come out. Sometimes the answer is less dramatic than they fear. Here is what I look at first at a deck in Betty's Bay, Rooi Els, Kleinmond or Pringle Bay, and what each sign tells me.
Start with the fixings
Standard fixings corrode much faster in salt air. A rusting fixing weakens the board around it and leaves ugly staining. So if you see rust marks around the screw heads, look closer, because the fixing is part of the problem and not only the board.
Every deck I build uses stainless steel fixings for exactly this reason. If your deck was put down with something else, that is worth knowing before you decide what to do with it.
Look at the gaps between boards
Timber expands and contracts with moisture and temperature, so boards need a small gap between them. That gap also keeps air moving underneath the deck, which matters more here than inland. Spacing is one of the things I get right when a deck is built, because it is hard to fix later. If your boards were laid tight against each other, tell me when I visit.
Check how the staircase is fixed
The most common failure I get called out to fix is a staircase that is just resting against the edge of a deck, held on by a few screws into the edge board. The stringers should be bolted into real structural framing, so the whole staircase moves as one unit with the deck.
If a staircase on your property is starting to feel a bit off underfoot, take it seriously and do not wait. It is also the part where a fall would hurt most.
Replacing old boards is not always starting over
One customer's Google review describes me replacing a lot of old decking and adding to an existing deck, with a minimum of fuss and no delays. You can read it on our Google profile. I mention it because people often assume the only choices are keep everything or rip everything out. What is right for your deck depends on what I find when I look at it, and I will tell you what I find.
If boards do need replacing, the timber you choose changes both the cost and how the deck ages on this coast. The thinking is in my decking timber guide, and the upkeep plan for a coastal deck is in looking after a timber deck by the sea.
If you have a deck you are unsure about, call or message and I will come and look at it with you. Every quote starts with a free site visit, with no charge and no obligation.
