We fix what's under the boards too

The board is rarely the actual problem

When someone calls about a deck, they're usually describing a symptom. The useful part of the visit is finding what's causing it.

A soft board means water got in somewhere

Decking that flexes underfoot has usually been staying wet, and if the board is wet the joist beneath it has been wet too. Screwing a new board over a rotting joist buys you a season. We pull the board, look at what's under it, and tell you what we find — even when that's a bigger conversation than you wanted.

The ledger is the part that hurts people

The ledger board is what attaches the deck to your house, and improper ledger attachment or flashing is the most common cause of serious deck failure. It's also invisible from the surface. On any repair of size we look at how the deck is tied to the structure and whether water has been running behind it.

Posts rot from the bottom, in the dark

Posts set directly in soil or in concrete that traps water rot at grade where you can't see it. A post that looks fine at eye level can be gone at the base. It's worth checking before you spend money on new decking above it.

Repair or replace, honestly

Sometimes the framing is sound and the deck just needs boards and a finish, and that's a fraction of the cost of a rebuild. Sometimes enough of the structure is compromised that repairs stop making financial sense. We'll tell you which one you're looking at, including when the answer is the cheaper one.

Timing the finish matters

Stain and sealer applied to damp wood, in the wrong temperature, or onto a deck that hasn't weathered enough won't bond and will peel within a year. New pressure-treated lumber in particular needs to dry before it takes a finish. We'd rather schedule it right than do it twice.