26
votes
Is my wooden deck salvageable? Repair tips and Stain vs Paint questions
It appears to be somewhat weathered, but overall solid.
You can do as much or as little as you like to it, from there. It's a deck, not a living room floor. If it's not structurally compromised (and ...
- 201k
16
votes
Is my wooden deck salvageable? Repair tips and Stain vs Paint questions
I've worked on many decks that look just like that. Get a pressure cleaner/washer and go over the entire deck. You'll be surprised at how that cleans up the deck. Don't use a 4500 PSI (31 MPa) washer, ...
- 78.7k
10
votes
Accepted
Recommended footings for deck built on rock with 5-10% grade?
1" of organic matter on rock? remove all the organic matter from the locations where the footings go, pour concrete footings or piers on the rock surface directly. Might be a good idea to drill ...
- 201k
7
votes
Recommended footings for deck built on rock with 5-10% grade?
sedimentary rock can be quite soft / should be easy to drill. fine for compressive strength.
drill 8" deep holes using rotary hammer 3/4" quad carbide bits
blow out the holes / clean holes ...
- 13.5k
7
votes
Accepted
45 degree beveled deck board ends butt joint at same joist
I've done it myself with both wood and synthetics and seen it on many other decks. I don't think there's anything wrong with a slanted lap. Protruding edges are no more likely or severe than they ...
- 129k
4
votes
What's the best way to protect rough exterior wooden structures?
The most durable coating for the frame you depicted is exterior latex paint (I prefer modern latex formulations to oil). If applied properly, it will outlast other exterior sealers by a good bit and ...
- 7,600
3
votes
Decking height - planning permission needed UK?
As defined in article 1(3) of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted
Development) Order 1995, height is measured from ground level - “Ground level
means the level of the surface of the ...
- 1,212
3
votes
How to fill this hole between balcony deck and brick wall?
Looks like some bricks fell out (or in?). A mason or a DIY mason could put the bricks back in, perhaps.
A possibility: Try taking out the schmutz X'd out here:
Then see about either adding bricks ...
- 6,374
3
votes
Best stain for a deck made of pressure treated wood
I know product recommendations are off topic here, but I'm going to do it anyway in a bit. But first, don't use a solid surface finish like Urethane or Varathane. They will fail (start flaking off) ...
- 23.1k
3
votes
What is best way to attach deck balusters?
Unfortunately, this is a "preference" thing: both of these solutions will work if properly installed. The holes drilled for baluster install in the top and bottom rails should be deep enough ...
- 4,389
2
votes
How To Extend A Deck
Depending very much on your Local Authority Having Jurisdiction, you might or might not need permits, plan approval, etc. and in most cases getting that part sorted (if required) will automatically ...
- 201k
2
votes
Rationale for synthetic deck planks on wooden frame?
Bottom line is the deck frame structure does not get the rain sitting on it or the sun's radiation beating it like the deck boards do. Therefore the frame will last substantially longer than the deck ...
- 25.1k
2
votes
Rationale for synthetic deck planks on wooden frame?
The stain cycle is mostly related to appearance of the decking. Composite decking doesn't need stain.
The wood structure will still degrade but depending on your weather a pressure treated deck ...
- 13.5k
2
votes
What’s the best way to attached these 2x4’s at right angles to the balusters on this deck project?
A good way to address this connection is to use TimberLOK Structural Wood Screws in an 8" length installed as shown below in a top view.
The diagram above shows dealing with the 2x4s that are on ...
- 64.1k
2
votes
Is my wooden deck salvageable? Repair tips and Stain vs Paint questions
As a variant opinion, go underneath and look for deterioration in the structure supporting the decking. If that's showing significant issues (i.e. edges rotting off) then expect to replace the whole ...
2
votes
Painting Trex composite deck board
Paint simply doesn't bond to plastic very well without considerable prep-work and specialty paint. You would experience ugly peeling after just 1-2 years. Trex is specifically engineered to withstand ...
- 16.5k
1
vote
Is running a porch column all the way to ground footer instead of using posts underneath a bad idea?
The columns and supporting posts have different jobs, so for design, cost and aesthetic reasons it often makes sense to place them separately.
You may want the columns to be placed in a way that ...
- 34.3k
1
vote
Is my wooden deck salvageable? Repair tips and Stain vs Paint questions
Wood naturally will gray out like that. The sun and rain do that. If you want it to not do that as fast, that's where water sealer can extend the life of your deck.
The board in the middle of your ...
- 24.2k
1
vote
Accepted
Best Method for Fastening 4x4 Posts to Deck for Pergola Construction?
Attaching to the deck boards isn't a big deal as long as they're aligned with the beam plus foundation below. Use a hot-dip galvanized equivalent or better post base and use hot-dip galvanized ...
- 5,203
1
vote
Best Method for Fastening 4x4 Posts to Deck for Pergola Construction?
See where you want the posts and remove the boards. You can use concrete footings (if you do put a couple of inches of crush and run under them) or the the metal spike ones. Secure the 4x4s to the ...
- 259
1
vote
Help identifying composite decking
I installed Timber Tech on my deck so I'm pretty familiar with it. The grooves on the side are for their Concealoc fasteners that hold the decking onto the joists without screws through the decking.
- 8,752
1
vote
Composite Deck Pooling Water
Decks aren't normally built with slope. They tend to be self-draining due to the board gap, so slope just isn't necessary. You especially don't want slope with decking that isn't substantially ...
- 129k
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