Should You Repair or Replace Your Deck?
At KP Contracting, our passion is helping you realize your outdoor living goals, whatever they might be. Safety’s the indispensable precursor to any of those goals. If you want to know whether your deck is unsafe enough that a full replacement is necessary, you’ll find that information here.
Once you’ve got safety covered, the decisions become less about life, and more about lifestyle. If your deck is structurally compromised, then of course you should replace it. Barring safety concerns, however, the choice of repair or replace depends on your needs and future plans.
With that safety foundation in place, we’ll move onto repair-or-replace decisions that depend on your needs and plans.
Deck decisions are ultimately up to you, and those decisions depend on your answers to questions like…
> Am I selling my house in the next few years?
> How long do I want the repair to last?
> Is this a temporary fix, or a long-range fix?
> How old is my deck now?
> How much use does my deck get on a regular basis?
However, there are some safety issues that make replacement a necessity. We’ll cover those below, so your decision puts safety first.
Replace your deck for safety’s sake
If any of these things are true of your deck, it likely isn’t safe to use. Replacement will likely be necessary, and you should definitely have a professional inspect the deck to give you a more thorough opinion.
Replacement factor 1: nailed-in ledger
The ledger is to your deck, what core muscles are to the body. The ledger, a board that connects the deck to the house, is a major source of the deck’s stability. Nails can’t bear the load necessary to keep the deck attached. No matter how many are in there, they’ll bend and warp under the pressure:
A deck ledger that pulled free of the house. Note the angle of the nails; that’s the weight of the deck warping them out of place. From https://awc.org/codes-and-standards/is-your-deck-safely-connected-to-your-house/.
How much of a problem are nailed-in ledgers? Virginia Tech Professor Frank Woeste estimates that 90% of deck collapses are due to ledgers that are nailed, rather than bolted, to the house.
Your ledger needs to be bolted to the house with ½ inch lag screws, and those screws need to be in a zig-zag pattern. If you inspect your ledger and see nails rather than screws, that feature is a danger. You’ll either need a replacement, or work done to bolt the ledger in properly, and bring it up to code.
Replacement factor 2: numerous rotted/soft spots in posts, beams, joists, or ledger
Multiple signs of rot in the ledger, posts, or structural beams are an indication your deck is unsafe. To test for rot in wood, stick a screwdriver into the suspected area. If it easily penetrates the area, and the area feels spongy and soft, the wood is rotted.
In load-bearing parts of the deck, even some rot in the right places can be a safety hazard. For instance, even a few inches worth of rot at the bottom of a post can lead to complete structural collapse for your deck, and possible injury or loss of life for whomever’s on it at the time.
One post with this sort of damage could be a major hazard.
Replacement factor 3: More than 4 inches between railing posts
If the rails in your deck are more than four inches apart, they’re a danger to children. Kids can (and sometimes do) get their heads stuck between posts that close together. Given most toddlers’ penchants for getting into everything, that’s not a risk any parent wants to take.
If you can pass a four-inch diameter ball between the railing posts on your deck, then a small child would be able to get their head through the same space.
Replacement factor 4: issues with stairs
Your deck’s stairs are so tied up with the rest of the deck’s structure, that major problems with the stairs often equal major problems with the rest of the deck’s structure. If your stairs have enough damage to them, replacement may be necessary.
Check your deck’s stringers– that’s the diagonal boards that hold the stairs up– for signs of rot, decay, or cracking.
Small, partially completed deck stair stringers.
Also, the same rules that apply to four inches in between railings, applies to the space between each step.
Repair
With the major safety issues covered, you can look at issues that won’t threaten you or your family, but do call for repairs. As always, the type and extent of repairs depend principally on your goals. When considering a repair, it’s less about life-or-death safety, and more about what goals you want to pursue with your outdoor spaces.
But whatever goals you want to pursue will be informed by the following factors. Put differently, these are the issues that a home inspector, or potential buyer, would likely ask about when touring your home.
Your Deck’s Age and Lifespan
The lifespan of an average wood deck is 25-30 years. If you’re deciding between repair or replace, the number of years remaining in your deck’s lifespan can be a major factor. For instance, a five-year old deck likely doesn’t need a full replacement. A deck that’s twenty-plus years old, however, is likely so close to needing replacement, that replacement becomes more cost effective.
If your deck is still within that lifespan, then repair of some sort is probably the right option. Common deck repairs include hardware replacement, minor structural repairs, replacing wear and tear in frequently used features like deck boards and railings, and reinforcement of weak areas.
There’s also the issue of how long you plan to stay in your current home. The median home tenure in America is roughly 13 years, so if you’re at year ten, and your deck’s at year 18, replacement could be an investment in your future.
Warm, wet climates (think: Maryland summer humidity) can reduce that lifespan even further.
Your Deck’s Current Condition
If you’ve ever hopped on a treadmill or elliptical, you’ve probably seen those “please consult a physician before beginning this or any exercise program” disclaimer. And anyone who’s pushed the treadmill to its highest speed quickly realizes that disclaimer’s wisdom. In the same way, whatever changes you’ll make to your deck have to take its current condition into account.
For example: does your deck see a lot of traffic from entertaining or use by kids/grandkids? If so, it’s likely that the boards you walk on have a lot of wear and tear. But if that deck’s only ten years old, and the structure is sound, you may be able to get away with just replacing the boards.
To determine if this is the case, check over the deck’s structural features. For instance, check for rust on metal fasteners, or signs of rot in the ledger, beams and posts. This is especially important when checking the bottoms of your posts. If the posts are solidly in the ground– that is, if they’re installed in concrete footings at least 8’ deep and 16x16 wide– then it’s likely you won’t need major repairs. However, posts that have been put directly into soil will likely require a more extensive repair, or even replacement:
A post that was installed without concrete footings
Another factor to consider is how well you’ve kept up with the maintenance of your deck. If you’ve checked your deck after each major adverse weather event, and given it a power washing once a year, you can probably get away with specific repairs. If you haven’t been keeping up with that sort of routine maintenance, you could be edging closer to replacement.
Your Deck’s Cost/Benefit Analysis
No matter what your condition, a good rule of thumb to use in deciding repair or replacement is this: anytime repairs exceed 75% of the cost of a new deck, go with replacement.
Beyond that, the type and extent of repairs depends on how much you want to spend, and what sort of experience you’re looking for. For instance, if you know you want a major remodel, and you also know you enjoy spending a lot of time outside, and you want to extend that amount of time, making the leap from deck to screened-in porch might be the right move.
Your Goals with your deck and other outdoor spaces
Once safety’s taken care of, the rest of the above factors are less requirements, than conversation starters. What sort of space do you want to create in your backyard? Do you want it to be a refuge, or a place to play?
For example, if you plan on being in your home for at least ten years, have three young children, and know you enjoy outdoor time, the most value for your money might come from a redo of the backyard’s entire structure. A family with a six-year-old, three-year-old and an infant will likely want to maximize play space in the backyard. They’ll also want to make sure their outdoor space has fewer risky temptations. Thus, a deck or screened-in porch would probably be a good idea, whereas an outdoor kitchen or spa-style pool might not be.
A different deck conversation starter
If you’ve given a basic look-over to your deck and have further questions, it’s a good idea to have a contractor or home inspector do a formal inspection. They’ll be able to see things you might miss, and know what other risks are worth considering.
We’d be happy to take a look at your outdoor space, and discuss any future plans you have for your backyard. To start a conversation about the future of your outdoor spaces, give us a call at 240-266-5900.