r/Decks • • 8h ago

Building a deck How'd we do?

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26 Upvotes

Long time listener, first time caller. Ground level flush deck to the pool. It was a process, but we made it. Cherry Hill, NJ.


r/Decks • • 12h ago

questions for the community I'm an idiot... Any easy fix?

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53 Upvotes

I'm an idiot. I decided it was okay to have a small solostove fire on my composite deck (Timbertech Prime decking). Well, I didnt pay close enough attention, and a log fell off and burned several holes in three pieces of the decking. A couple of the holes are actually indented into the decking (though only very slightly).

Is there an easy fix to patch or paint Timbertech composite decking? Or, do I have to just replace these pieces to fix this...

Any recommendations appreciated!


r/Decks • • 9h ago

Help with deck skirting

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4 Upvotes

First time deck builder here. I need help with ideas on deck skirting since I made my deck boards flush with the rim joists. I wanna hid the 1/2" gap where my rim joist meet on the side and also tie my stairs into it. I guess it would be a fascia board/skirting

My fix was to a wider deck board for my picture frame decking so I could have an over hang but I hope there is an easier way


r/Decks • • 5h ago

PT vs cedar for a low deck in Minnesota, which holds up better?

1 Upvotes

Building a ground-level deck off the back of our place in St Paul and stuck on material choice. The big box stores have PT for about half the price of cedar, but I keep reading mixed things about how it holds up long term. This thing is going to be about 18 inches off the ground with pretty limited airflow underneath.
My neighbor used cedar on his and it still looks solid after maybe 8 years, but he also sealed it every year which sounds like a pain. I run a small business and barely have time for the build itself, let alone yearly maintenance. PT is cheaper upfront, but I've heard it can warp pretty bad if you don't stay on top of it. The ground here stays wet well into spring and I'm worried about rot regardless of what I pick.
Anyone in the Twin Cities gone either direction and regretted it? Not looking to redo this in five years.


r/Decks • • 17h ago

Visible ledger board from above (CAN)

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7 Upvotes

Title says it. I can see my ledger board while standing on my deck. I just moved in a couple years back and I don’t really stand on the deck much other than to come and go from the house.

I take it that this is very not good, my question is can there be a bandaid fix on this? I cannot afford to tear down this deck as it completely wraps around the house and we’re on the side of a hill with a variety of elevations. My guess is it would be a 60k+ replacement. I can stick my finger and almost touch the ledger. That is the widest gap under that door but it’s set up the same way around the house. My guess is is that this is a 10-12 year old deck.


r/Decks • • 19h ago

Building a deck Better way to flash this corner?

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12 Upvotes

I demoed an old deck and just installed the new ledger. Vycor tape flashing in between the house and ledger and vinyl flashing above the ledger

This corner of the siding was cut out from the first deck and ledger and there was a bit of rot in this corner when I took off the old ledger

Is there any way to improve the flashing in this corner?

EDIT/CLARIFICATION: I bought this house and tore down the old deck, the previous owner had cut the trim board so I am trying to rectify *many* issues the original deck had


r/Decks • • 13h ago

maintenance Do I need to do anything to protect joist after removing the rotting deck?

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3 Upvotes

I recently pulled up a rotten deck board (it’s a 5/4x4, so about a 3.5-inch gap). I don’t plan on installing the permanent cedar replacement until next summer, so the gap is just going to sit open for a while.

I live in the Seattle area, so we have months of heavy rain coming up. Right now, the joists underneath are completely exposed, along with the old nail holes.

My questions:

  1. Do I need to do anything to protect the exposed joists from rotting out over the winter?

  2. What is the best way to deal with the old nail holes left in the joists so water doesn't funnel directly into the wood core? Should I plug them with exterior silicone caulk, wood filler, exterior glue, or something else?

  3. Should I just lay some plywood over the top temporarily to protect the framing ?

Not a very handyman but trying to save the budget. Nobody really use the deck so I’m not worry about safety hazard just more worry on the joist.

Thanks !


r/Decks • • 13h ago

Keep this deck nice

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2 Upvotes

If I'm willing to fill cracks and sand can I keep this deck sim transparent? I'm used to swapping bad boards out on old gross decks, but I hate painted decks and id like the boards to feel nice on bare feet.

I don't have a ton of time for maintenance these days admittedly so I might give in and just use a solid stain


r/Decks • • 1d ago

Tja, dit ist Berlin! / Yep, that’s classic Berlin!

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28 Upvotes

Gefunden diese Woche in freier Wildbahn im Bezirk Berlin Mitte.

Found this week in the wild in the district of Berlin Mitte


r/Decks • • 1d ago

Turns out pt decks rot over time

92 Upvotes

Got a call for a possible deck job from a random. Owner says the last contractor was a hack and the deck rotted out after only 20 years... Buddy, I got news for you lol


r/Decks • • 19h ago

Good quote?

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5 Upvotes

House builder never finished the job, outsourcing this job to another contractor I've worked with in the past. Deck was already setup for this system before they bailed on us. Seems alright $$$ wise?


r/Decks • • 19h ago

Humbly request opinion on posts in heavy clay

4 Upvotes

Forgive me if this question is naive. I am a desk nerd and not a construction worker, but I do a lot of landscaping. My house has a recently-built raised deck which is roofed over. The whole structure passed Maryland inspection and I have seen the paperwork. But I'm not crazy about the deck posts being buried in heavy clay soil. The posts are 6x6 pressure treated wood sitting on a poured concrete base approximately 4 foot into the ground. That seems decent, however the heavy Maryland clay soil used to backfill the holes is quite acidic, and it holds water and turns to slag after a heavy rain. Should I dig out all of this clay around the posts and backfill with something different? Maybe pounded-in crushed gravel? Or non-clay fill dirt? Or maybe add more concrete to the bottom then backfill with something better? Many thanks!!


r/Decks • • 1d ago

Structural integrity?

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504 Upvotes

Hello. This is a brand new deck system as of 2 months ago. I noticed that not only were 2/3 horizontal supports off center, but also, 2 joist hangars are snapped.

I contacted the builder and he said the support posts didn’t move (despite obvious slide marks) or shift. He also said it was nailed on the end where the broken joists are and it was done so to make it straight.

It seems it isn’t or wasn’t square to begin with and should a single 6” x 6” horizontal support been used rather than 3 2” x 6” ’s?

Vertical and horizontal cracks on wood too?

Thanks for feedback.


r/Decks • • 1d ago

Finished Decks Deckorators Summit Cliffside

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21 Upvotes

Very happy with this board and figured I’d give a few photos since it’s pretty new on the market.


r/Decks • • 2d ago

Sketchy decks found in the wild, beach edition

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296 Upvotes

I don't know anything. It's entirely possible that this is a perfectly reasonable repair, but it sure looks sketchy as hell.


r/Decks • • 1d ago

Finished Decks Deck Pedalboard I made for my dad-themed sludge band

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45 Upvotes

Presenting the Pedal Deck, a pedalboard I created as a stage riser/prop for my angry stepdad themed Doom/Sludge metal band Sod The Earth. I didn't get the best process pics but I assure extra blocking was added. Couldn't find any mini strong ties but I did my best.

The whole thing is wired for power underneath and I used a momentary router pedal switch from harbor freight to flip on strobe and flood lights automatically during extra wanky solos.

Unfortunately I don't think I have a mini hot tub for a true test.


r/Decks • • 2d ago

Finished Decks How did I do? First time builder..

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775 Upvotes

Was heaps of fun and quite a challenge, but overall happy with it.

Double 190x45 bearers, 190x45 joists.

Spotted gum timber.


r/Decks • • 1d ago

Add a stair railing against the house or no?

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3 Upvotes

After picking surface mount railing posts/stairs, I realized the stairs on the back of my deck are going to cut it close on width. The overall width of the concrete is 50" and the overall width of the stairs with fascia is 48.5". After a test fit (pictured), I realized I didn't need a railing against the house so now I'm looking to get opinions on if people prefer the railing 1-2" from the siding/foundation or if the consensus is to not have the railing.

My initial thoughts are it would look better and be better for little kids/older people but it does cost about $600 to do it. Thoughts?


r/Decks • • 1d ago

Freestanding 13×10 pergola next to a 12×10 deck on screw piles with 8×8 wood blocks. Any concerns?

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2 Upvotes

I have a 12×10 ft deck and need to install a 13×10 ft pergola. That's the only size within my budget whose height won't block my patio doors.

Since the pergola is wider than the deck, my plan is to keep it freestanding. I'll install a screw pile next to each of the 4 deck corners, mount an 8×8 wood block on each pile at deck height, and bolt the pergola posts to those blocks so the pergola doesn't rest on the deck itself.

What I've already checked:
1. The pergola's post footprint fits around the deck.
2. Utilities have been located, and the house-side piles won't hit anything. The roof clears the eaves.
3. The piles won't conflict with the deck stairs.
4. The pergola won't be attached to the deck.
5. My plan for the wood blocks: ground-contact rated 8×8s, saddle brackets through-bolted to the pile caps, sealed end grain, and blocks kept as short as possible.

Has anyone done something similar? Any concerns with wood blocks on piles for a freestanding pergola, or would you go with steel cap plates instead? Photos attached.


r/Decks • • 1d ago

Privacy screen/railing

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2 Upvotes

redoing our deck and will square off this corner. the far side will be approx 9.5-10’ from the house to the corner.

red bush will be removed. frameless glass railing will be installed along the long edge of the deck

looking for ideas on the far side for a privacy screen/approved railing system. preferably in white. 6’ in height. Allows some air flow.


r/Decks • • 1d ago

Dew!

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5 Upvotes

I have prepped my deck and it's ready to stain. There is rain in the forecast overnight tonight. (Friday) Then we have no rain in forecast for 5 days. I plan on Tuesday stain.

However I live in Victoria BC and never really thought about the dew.

At 10am this morning half the deck is wet.

Could I cover with light plastic or a tarp and blower


r/Decks • • 1d ago

questions for the community Top screw railings?

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1 Upvotes

I need to add railings down the corners of these stairs. It's some kind of tropical hardwood decking. I've found railing kits and brackets set up to screw down into the deck and whatever framing is under there, but I do not trust that.

Should I trust a screw-down bracket? If not, what approach do I take? My instinct is take up some deck boards and drill or cut out a path to drop real support in. But if there's a fastener made to handle this more efficiently I'd like to find it.


r/Decks • • 1d ago

maintenance How to Temporarily Protect Deck Stairs During Winter?

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5 Upvotes

Hi everyone we have this deck that we stained a year after purchasing out house. It has been like 6 years now and we clearly haven’t maintained it well. It also wasn’t a good stain (Valspar Semi-Transparent Stain and Sealer) I have been trying to learn more about removing old stains and staining to prepare to restore this deck. Only issue is that we are already in Autumn and I have a busy college semester so not sure if I have the time right now to do a nice job before winter.

Is there any recommendations on how I could temporarily protect it so that it doesn’t get worse so that I can then go back to do it properly in Summer?

Thank you so much to all that are able to take the time to share their thoughts, just a son trying to help my family maintain the home. My dad is having cognitive issues so hard to depend much on him right now. I also have no siblings that live here so kinda just on my mom and I to maintain the house.


r/Decks • • 2d ago

How did we do?

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54 Upvotes

New to sub but already addicted, family project and unfortunately no hot tub😞


r/Decks • • 2d ago

new stairs

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21 Upvotes

there's no stairs previously , they cut through my old deck and added those, is there anything i can do to make more stable, they feel ridgid but i don't want them to fall or something