Help my poor, sad old deck.
June 6, 2011 12:28 PM Subscribe
Old neglected deck: What to do to preserve it for a little while longer.
We have a large deck, which for a variety of reasons we've neglected since we moved in 10 years ago. It was stupid, I know that, but what's done is done. I'm now trying to figure out what the next steps are. The wood is grey and old looking, but only shows rotting in one place. Its also attached to the 2nd story of our bi-level house, and is the only exit on that floor, so just demo-ing it outright isn't an option.
Its unlikely that we'll be able to afford having the deck completely renovated this year. With that in mind, would sealing it make a difference at this point? Could it possibly help eek out another year or two until we can properly address the deck?
I've also been wondering about the plastic lumbar &/or composite decking, and specifically, if I could replace the deck boards with the plastic decking but keep the deck frame as is. As it stands, the frame/joists don't seem to be in as bad of condition as the decking planks, but i don't l know if this would be a recipe for disaster later on.
We have a large deck, which for a variety of reasons we've neglected since we moved in 10 years ago. It was stupid, I know that, but what's done is done. I'm now trying to figure out what the next steps are. The wood is grey and old looking, but only shows rotting in one place. Its also attached to the 2nd story of our bi-level house, and is the only exit on that floor, so just demo-ing it outright isn't an option.
Its unlikely that we'll be able to afford having the deck completely renovated this year. With that in mind, would sealing it make a difference at this point? Could it possibly help eek out another year or two until we can properly address the deck?
I've also been wondering about the plastic lumbar &/or composite decking, and specifically, if I could replace the deck boards with the plastic decking but keep the deck frame as is. As it stands, the frame/joists don't seem to be in as bad of condition as the decking planks, but i don't l know if this would be a recipe for disaster later on.
Rent a power/pressure washer and clean it (don't turn it up too high, you can damage the wood). If you're freaked by the pressure washer, use a deck cleaning solution and a brush - this will be much more time consuming, but ultimately gentler on the wood . You'll be shocked at the difference that makes in its appearance. Next, replace any rotted boards. At this point, you can seal it up with whatever floats your boat (if it's pressure-treated wood, there are special finishes).
A note on plastic/composite decking - I've yet to see any composite decking that can hold up as well and look as nice as properly treated wood.
posted by brand-gnu at 12:35 PM on June 6, 2011
A note on plastic/composite decking - I've yet to see any composite decking that can hold up as well and look as nice as properly treated wood.
posted by brand-gnu at 12:35 PM on June 6, 2011
Agreed, replace the rotting planks and you're done.
My expertise is based on living across the street from the local beach/boardwalk.
posted by Brian Puccio at 12:37 PM on June 6, 2011
My expertise is based on living across the street from the local beach/boardwalk.
posted by Brian Puccio at 12:37 PM on June 6, 2011
I am not a building expert in anyway shape or form, but I have managed to bring back from the brink, 2 cheap wooden outdoor settings, that had pretty much faded to grey and started to spilt, with vast and copious quantities of oil You can get decking oils specially for the purpose and its easy, if a little messy to apply. It does darken the wood, but seems to help make the wood stand up to the climate a lot better. This was Australian summer sun and wimpy winters so if you are trying to make it stand up to a Northern US winter, I don't know if that would help.
I had pondered sealing the furniture, but the guy at the hardware shop at the time said that varnishes can actually make things worse as they split and peel. I don't know if its true or not, but the oil really did get me 2 more summers.
I would definitely replace any rotten wood though as nothing is going to help that.
posted by wwax at 12:40 PM on June 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
I had pondered sealing the furniture, but the guy at the hardware shop at the time said that varnishes can actually make things worse as they split and peel. I don't know if its true or not, but the oil really did get me 2 more summers.
I would definitely replace any rotten wood though as nothing is going to help that.
posted by wwax at 12:40 PM on June 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Replace the rotted wood and apply a sealer to the rest of the structure. The sealer helps the water bead up instead of soaking into the wood after a rain. If you really want to take care of it, you can also use a push broom to "sweep" off the water post-rain.
Don't use any outdoor rugs on your deck because they hold in the moisture right next to the wood. Also, if you live in an area where it snows, shovel your deck off before the snow has a chance to melt.
posted by Ostara at 12:47 PM on June 6, 2011
Don't use any outdoor rugs on your deck because they hold in the moisture right next to the wood. Also, if you live in an area where it snows, shovel your deck off before the snow has a chance to melt.
posted by Ostara at 12:47 PM on June 6, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! I thought it was more hopeless than it is, but based on the comments, maybe its not. The picture DarlingBri posted is pretty much spot on to the shape of most of the deck, the exception being the part that is rotting, but that is only two boards..
And yes, this is Northern US.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 1:30 PM on June 6, 2011
And yes, this is Northern US.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 1:30 PM on June 6, 2011
Sealing is not a bad thing to do, but it is also less necessary than staining. The majority of damage to decking is not actually from water, but from UV sunlight. (Rot only really happens at points where water can accumulate and remain. But the UV breaks down the lignin in the wood, eventually damaging its structural integrity.) As long as your deck is structurally intact, it can last many more years.
Consumer Reports has concluded that most brands of stain are pretty similar to each other in durability, within their tint class. Darker lasts longer; lighter lasts less long; and clear is basically asking for annual reapplication.
Here's a step-by-step from This Old House.
I will note that one of the great things about rebuilding a deck today is the wide variety of hidden and clip-type fasteners now available. But a well-built deck with maintenance can last 15-20 years or more. Without looking at yours, I couldn't tell you whether you've got 5, 10, ore more years to go (nor am I a contractor, let alone your contractor), but if you're able to walk on it today I doubt that you have as little as a single year left. Anyway, when you do get into this it's a good idea to check the structure in detail and make sure you don't have any rotten footings or problem areas where it attaches to the house.
posted by dhartung at 1:40 PM on June 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Consumer Reports has concluded that most brands of stain are pretty similar to each other in durability, within their tint class. Darker lasts longer; lighter lasts less long; and clear is basically asking for annual reapplication.
Here's a step-by-step from This Old House.
I will note that one of the great things about rebuilding a deck today is the wide variety of hidden and clip-type fasteners now available. But a well-built deck with maintenance can last 15-20 years or more. Without looking at yours, I couldn't tell you whether you've got 5, 10, ore more years to go (nor am I a contractor, let alone your contractor), but if you're able to walk on it today I doubt that you have as little as a single year left. Anyway, when you do get into this it's a good idea to check the structure in detail and make sure you don't have any rotten footings or problem areas where it attaches to the house.
posted by dhartung at 1:40 PM on June 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
[insert clever name here]: "Thanks everyone! I thought it was more hopeless than it is, but based on the comments, maybe its not. "
It's not hopeless at all! My family's house has been standing on 18 foot untreated oak plank stilts for 60 years. Not a single house in our Atlantic-Ocean-facing community stains or treats their decks or our boardwalks. Every year we replace rotting planks as needed with new timber and let them age naturally. We have held firm against hurricanes since 1880. Please don't buy into the concept that because your deck isn't Wal*Mart new and shiny, it is sub-par or failing. It isn't.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:05 PM on June 6, 2011
It's not hopeless at all! My family's house has been standing on 18 foot untreated oak plank stilts for 60 years. Not a single house in our Atlantic-Ocean-facing community stains or treats their decks or our boardwalks. Every year we replace rotting planks as needed with new timber and let them age naturally. We have held firm against hurricanes since 1880. Please don't buy into the concept that because your deck isn't Wal*Mart new and shiny, it is sub-par or failing. It isn't.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:05 PM on June 6, 2011
I recommend a transparent stain. I did the back deck 2 years ago, and a lot of the color wore off, but it's less splinter-y than the front deck, which I hope to do this summer.
posted by theora55 at 11:52 AM on June 7, 2011
posted by theora55 at 11:52 AM on June 7, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
I grew up in a community with elevated boardwalks, no roads, and houses on stilts and decks and we never treat the wood, just replace rotting planks one by one. If this is what your deck looks like, it's just weathered - it's fine, and for some of us, extremely desirable. (Trying to replicate this on my tiny patio in Ireland is costing the earth. Send me your untreated weathered planks!)
posted by DarlingBri at 12:35 PM on June 6, 2011