With cold icy winters and hot humid summers, decks in the North endure a great deal of Mother Nature’s abuse. In addition to keeping up with regular maintenance, it’s important to look out for clues that indicate potential safety hazards, regardless of a deck’s height. By knowing the signs of wear and tear, you can address small issues before they become expensive repairs.

Spotting Wear and Tear on Your Deck

The wood crumbles and falls apart: When a wooden deck is exposed to too much moisture, dry rot may occur. Dry rot refers to fungal decay. When the fungus lives on wood, it digests the properties that give the lumber its stiffness and strength. At first, dry rot looks might look like orange dust. As it grows, the spores form white strands on the wood. Eventually, the wood gets soft and crumbles.

The structure leans away from the house: When a deck separates from a ledger board, it’s in danger of collapsing. This may occur when fasteners or connecters are loose or missing, the wood decays or because of poor fastener choices (i.e., using nails instead of lag bolts).

Small holes in the boards: Small holes may indicate the presence of insects living in or traveling through the deck. By identifying the offending insect, you can determine if they’re the kind that live in or eat decaying wood.

The wood seems slick: If the boards have a greenish hue to them, the wood may have a mildew or algae problem.

The deck’s color faded: Wood and other materials fade when exposed to the sun. To keep a deck’s original color, you may need to re-stain and re-seal it every couple of years, depending on the materials used.

The wood cracks and splinters: It is common for wood to splinter and crack with age, particularly if you don’t use a protective finish. Exposure to the elements can also cause deck boards to warp.

Corroding fasteners and connectors: Exposure to moisture leads to oxidation and corrosion with most types of metals. If you don’t prevent or limit the corrosion, the rust that forms can stain the wood on the structure.

Ignoring wear and tear on a deck can shorten its lifespan and pose serious safety hazards. If you are not sure about how to identify such concerns or remedy them, contact us to inspect and maintain the structure annually.

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