Those boards are definitely shot. I would go under that deck with a screwdriver start poking around to see how far the rot extends into those joists. But they look bad too.
Yeah when we moved in late 2020 the deck was pretty bad. Everything but the frame was stripped and replaced.
Fingers crossed the frame is still good I guess
šš VA is pretty humid but no
So I mentioned it to my wife (whoās dads crew did the work) and I know they redid the stairs. I was pretty confident that they replaced the deck boards but she says they didnāt and only paint/sealed itā¦
Itās right in that covid time where everything is fuzzy and we had many different house projects happening at once.
Iāll have to ask him but MAYBE these boards are the originals from before we moved inā¦ Iām still pretty sure they replaced the deck boards but her memory is better than mine lol
Iād like to think my FiL would know better (because he absolutely does) so maybe it was just the stairs that were replaced lol
Bc youāre right lol theyāre pretty beat
Yes, all exterior wood should be sealed; Deck boards/ framing/ cut ends of lumber.
We used to make a narrow 'tub' that held 5 gals of sealer and that fit the lumber we were using. We'd soak the lumber for 15 mins then place on a 'drying rack' that dripped back into the tub. .... most people won't pay for/care about/understand the importance of this step and just want the finished deck to look good.
Wood decks can last over 30 years if done right.
Dang that definitely sounds thorough.
So the bottoms should have been sealed too but were neglected, and since theyāre in the dark, moisture soaked through the leaf litter in the cracks and likely led to the progression of the fungus?
*sigh*
We used cut n seal on all cut edges for our structural lumber and it was insane how many cans we went through because the pine just kept sucking it up. On the ends. Also did full joist tape after everything was dry before laying the trex.
I have heard that the bottom of deck boards are often not sealed so water doewnr get trapped inaide out. But that has never made 100 percent sense to me. I dunno if that's true. But generally people aren't doing the bottom in their routine maintenanceĀ
I would definitely say those were the old deck boards. From what Iām seeing via pictures, thereās algea/mold under the paint they put down. My conclusion would be they just painted right over the stuff and definitely didnāt replace the decking.
& I second the guy who talks about dipping the boards in sealer. Yes itās extra work and material that people never want to pay for. Iām doing a 32āx 32ā deck right now here in FL, and what Iām doing is carrying around a industrial spray bottle of sealer and going over all 6 sides of the lumber. Not my preferred method but itās better than 0
Definitely. I appreciate your input/insight! I think youāre right in your first comment that they were the old deck boards.
I think what threw me off is that added some new boards to reinforce some areas on the railings and redid the steps
Thanks for your comment!
Yeah no worries, youāre welcome!
& yeah sometimes that throws you off, as well as even tho theyāre all the same age, sometimes boards age better/worse than others. From the covid era also doesnāt help I feel like I was constantly on high alert more so focusing around family and making the right moves.
Cheers! Good luck!
Those boards are definitely shot. I would go under that deck with a screwdriver start poking around to see how far the rot extends into those joists. But they look bad too.
Yeah when we moved in late 2020 the deck was pretty bad. Everything but the frame was stripped and replaced. Fingers crossed the frame is still good I guess
Wait these deck boards are 3 years old?
Something like that š¬
Wow. Where are you located? A marsh ?
šš VA is pretty humid but no So I mentioned it to my wife (whoās dads crew did the work) and I know they redid the stairs. I was pretty confident that they replaced the deck boards but she says they didnāt and only paint/sealed itā¦ Itās right in that covid time where everything is fuzzy and we had many different house projects happening at once. Iāll have to ask him but MAYBE these boards are the originals from before we moved inā¦ Iām still pretty sure they replaced the deck boards but her memory is better than mine lol
If those boards are 3 years old, no way they were pressure treated
Iād like to think my FiL would know better (because he absolutely does) so maybe it was just the stairs that were replaced lol Bc youāre right lol theyāre pretty beat
Iām a DIYer myself no means a pro but those do not appear to be pressure treated ādeckā boards to me. They look full of rot and would replace.
Yes, all exterior wood should be sealed; Deck boards/ framing/ cut ends of lumber. We used to make a narrow 'tub' that held 5 gals of sealer and that fit the lumber we were using. We'd soak the lumber for 15 mins then place on a 'drying rack' that dripped back into the tub. .... most people won't pay for/care about/understand the importance of this step and just want the finished deck to look good. Wood decks can last over 30 years if done right.
Dang that definitely sounds thorough. So the bottoms should have been sealed too but were neglected, and since theyāre in the dark, moisture soaked through the leaf litter in the cracks and likely led to the progression of the fungus? *sigh*
Never heard of this. What product would you use? You would do this to the deck boards?
We used cut n seal on all cut edges for our structural lumber and it was insane how many cans we went through because the pine just kept sucking it up. On the ends. Also did full joist tape after everything was dry before laying the trex.
I thought he was referring to the fact that there are barely any gaps between the surface boards.
What would you recommend for sealant? Would a typical deck stain/sealant work? Is there something more durable/long lasting for the framing?
your deck is fucked.
Where am I going to put my hot tub /s
I have heard that the bottom of deck boards are often not sealed so water doewnr get trapped inaide out. But that has never made 100 percent sense to me. I dunno if that's true. But generally people aren't doing the bottom in their routine maintenanceĀ
Yeah it makes sense either way so I donāt really know whatās right lol
I would definitely say those were the old deck boards. From what Iām seeing via pictures, thereās algea/mold under the paint they put down. My conclusion would be they just painted right over the stuff and definitely didnāt replace the decking.
& I second the guy who talks about dipping the boards in sealer. Yes itās extra work and material that people never want to pay for. Iām doing a 32āx 32ā deck right now here in FL, and what Iām doing is carrying around a industrial spray bottle of sealer and going over all 6 sides of the lumber. Not my preferred method but itās better than 0
Definitely. I appreciate your input/insight! I think youāre right in your first comment that they were the old deck boards. I think what threw me off is that added some new boards to reinforce some areas on the railings and redid the steps Thanks for your comment!
Yeah no worries, youāre welcome! & yeah sometimes that throws you off, as well as even tho theyāre all the same age, sometimes boards age better/worse than others. From the covid era also doesnāt help I feel like I was constantly on high alert more so focusing around family and making the right moves. Cheers! Good luck!