Deck repairs are often necessary after several years of use.
Decks are exposed to a large amount of abuse from rain, ice and snow throughout the year. Regular sealing of the deck is necessary to prevent rotting of the wood. Nonetheless, it is only a matter of time before the deck will need to be repaired. Rotting wood and broken railings will need to be replaced. It is possible to cut out old boards and replace them if necessary, and wobbly posts can be secured. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Cracked or Rotted Boards
1. Check for cracked boards visually, or test for rotted wood by poking a nail into the wood. If it sinks into the wood easily, without a hammer, the wood is rotted.
2. Peak through the floorboards to find the joints of the deck. Make a line at the front of the joints for cutting.
3. Set the jigsaw cutting depth to the thickness of the board and cut through the wood. Remove the cracked wood from the deck.
4. Cut a piece of lumber to act as a cleat. Drill three holes into it, one in the left end, one in the right and one in the middle. Place the cleat on the deck joist and nail it into place. This gives the new board support.
5. Set the new board on top of the cleat and hammer it into place using 3-inch deck screws.
Secure Posts
6. Drill two half-inch holes through the posts and the frame of the deck. Offset the holes to prevent splitting the post. Angle the holes downward to prevent hitting joists underneath the deck.
7. Place 1/2-inch carriage bolts into the holes. Tap them in with a hammer.
8. Cut wood blocks that fit between the joists underneath the deck. Hammer the board between the joists. These boards prevent your deck from wobbling.
9. Nail the wood blocks into place using three 16d deck nails. Do this for each row.
Tags: into place, between joists, hammer wood, into place using, into wood, joists underneath, joists underneath deck
