Let's Talk About Decks

Anyone with a back yard probably has a deck. And anyone with a deck probably has deck problems. I say this because most of the time decks are put on your home very quickly and very cheaply. Sometimes I think they are an afterthought. Like the builder walked around and said, "Oh yeah, just put it over there." Hopefully you are lucky and had a quality deck built, but for the rest of us you have two choices. Hire a deck company to rebuild or replace it, do it yourself, or put caution tape all around it and not use it. Ok, I guess that's really three things. So lets just focus on the two more popular choices. If you hire out the work take time to learn about the different designs and materials before rushing to a decision. There are a lot of choices of deck material, rail and baluster materials, and lighting that wasn't around not that long ago.  And just remember when talking with a salesperson, never let them make you believe there is a perfect choice. There is no perfect, zero maintenance anything. There is always a give and take with every material. So, let's now talk about doing it yourself. There is no way in this small blog that I can explain to you how to build a deck. There is also no way that I can advise you if you need to completely re-build or just replace the decking boards and hand rails. Let's focus on the latter because that seems to be pretty popular. I do suggest that you have someone qualified to inspect your deck before you tackle the appearance because I have seen a lot of decks that need a bit of structural support too. Re-attaching and replacing balusters is pretty easy thing to do. Most are nailed on and come loose over time. If you just re-nail it or screw it in you will split the baluster almost guaranteed. Take a moment and pre-drill your holes first. Down below are a pair of videos that will help you lay out new decking boards to replace the broken, warped, and splintered old ones that will give your old deck many additional years of enjoyment.