Should I repair my deck or replace it?
Look at the frame, not the boards. Surface boards can be replaced on a sound frame for far less than a rebuild, but once the framing, the posts or the ledger have gone, the deck is finished no matter how the top looks.
What is the single most important thing to check?
The ledger, where the deck attaches to the house.
That connection carries the deck. It is also the place water gets in and stays, because it sits tight against the house behind the boards where nobody looks.
If there is soft wood, rust staining or movement at the ledger, stop using the deck and get it looked at. That is not a maintenance item, it is the thing that holds the deck up.
How do I tell if the framing is sound?
Push a screwdriver into the joists and posts, particularly where they meet anything else.
Sound timber resists. Rotten timber takes the blade like cork. Check the tops of the joists where the boards have trapped water, the bottoms of the posts where they meet concrete or soil, and both ends of every beam.
Look for the stains too. A dark streak below a fastening is water that has been getting in for a long time.
When is resurfacing the right answer?
When the frame is sound, the layout still works, and it is the surface that has aged.
Resurfacing takes the boards and usually the railing off, keeps the structure, and lays a new surface on it. It is the most cost effective good outcome available on a deck, and it is a chance to move from wood to composite without paying for a whole new structure.
The frame has to suit the new boards. Joist spacing matters, and some composite lines want closer spacing than an older frame was built to, which can mean adding joists rather than replacing everything.
When is a full replacement the honest answer?
When the structure is failing, when the footings are wrong, or when the deck no longer suits how you live.
Rot in the posts or the ledger, footings that have heaved, framing built too light for the span: those are structural and they are not repairs. Patching around them buys a season and costs the price of doing it twice.
The other honest reason is use. If the deck is the wrong size, in the wrong place or the wrong shape, a beautiful new surface on it does not fix any of that.
What about railings on their own?
A railing can be replaced by itself, and on an older deck it is often the first thing that should be.
Guards take a beating and they are the safety critical part of a deck people lean on without thinking. A loose guard post is worth dealing with immediately, whatever else you decide.
Replacing a railing is also the cheapest change that makes an old deck look new, which is worth knowing if the frame and boards have life left.
Can Level Line just do the repair?
Yes. Repair, resurfacing and refinishing are jobs we do, not just full builds.
We would rather tell you the frame has ten years left and resurface it than sell you a deck you do not need. A deck inspection can also be booked on its own, with no job attached to it.
If it does turn out to be a rebuild, you will get the reason, not just the recommendation.
More questions on this
How long does a pressure treated deck last on Long Island?
It depends almost entirely on maintenance and exposure, which is why we would rather look at yours than quote a number. The frame usually outlives the boards.
Can I replace just a few bad boards?
Yes, though matching the weathering of the surrounding boards on a wood deck is difficult. On a composite deck a line that has been discontinued may be impossible to match at all.
Does a resurfacing job need a permit?
Usually not if nothing structural changes, but the building department decides, so ask before you start.