Do you enjoy entertaining yourself outside in your garden? Your deck is an extension of your home that enables outside entertaining and leisure time. It's the ideal spot for grilling, resting, and outdoor dining. As a result, it must remain in peak condition to continue providing you with fantastic memories. As the seasons shift from winter to spring, it's time to inspect your requirements for deck repairs in Castle Rock. You should evaluate your deck every year at the start of spring to see if it needs to be renovated or replaced. Decks that require repair or replacement may not reveal their defects until it is too late. Here are some of the most common situations which call for deck repair:
1. Rotting
Wood rot, no matter what portion of the house it affects, is never a good omen. Rot, if left uncontrolled, can inflict enough damage to compromise your home's structural stability.
Decks must be built on concrete footings according to current building code rules, however, if your deck is older, the support pillars may rest directly on the ground. Soil is rarely fully dry, and bare wood will absorb any moisture in the ground, including some pressure-treated species. Moisture rots wood over time, so inspect your deck's supports every few months.
2. Erosion
Deck footings, both wooden and concrete, are prone to erosion. Rainwater and snowfall wash away the soil that supports the deck posts and footings, causing soil erosion. The deck may become unstable if the bottom level of the post becomes exposed.
Drainage problems on your property might appear apparently out of nowhere. However, the slope of your yard will naturally alter with time, and modest landscaping adjustments, such as adding or removing planting beds, can speed up such changes.
After a storm, if you observe water pooling in your yard or a tiny river running beneath your deck, contact a drainage system consultant and a deck contractor to help you repair any damage (and prevent problems in the future).
3. Lose Deck Joints
If you have a sagging deck railing, it poses to be a severe safety risk. Although a loose railing is unlikely to cause your deck to fall completely, it is an evident warning that the deck need immediate maintenance.
Keep a constant eye on your deck's rails, particularly in areas where your friends and family members tend to congregate. If you notice railing issues early on, your deck contractor will almost certainly be able to remedy them. When the degeneration spreads and threatens the structural integrity of the deck, you'll need to replace it entirely.
4. Lack of maintenance
Just like you would maintain your hardscape backyard in Castle Rock, you should regularly maintain your deck. Home maintenance never ends, and it doesn't take long for the to-do list to grow and become overwhelming. Decks that are not consistently maintained will not last long.
If you've bought a house with a problematic deck, don't sit back and wait. A reputable deck contractor can check the construction and tell you if it is safe. Your deck may only require a few simple repairs, or it may be fairly old and not built to current safety regulations. In any case, it's best to know what you're up against—and whether or not you'll need a new deck.
5. Footings have begun dropping
Concrete footings will undoubtedly increase the long-term structural integrity of your deck, but they may not be optimal in some cases. The concrete may crack or drop if the original deck footings were placed on soil that has either moved significantly over time or was unstable, to begin with. Cold weather and freeze/thaw cycles can also wreak havoc on concrete deck footings. This is especially true in colder climes, where the freezing and thawing of the concrete can cause it to heave and sink if the footings were not poured deep enough.
When it comes to ensuring the safety and structural integrity of your deck, being unidimensional and thinking about just the costs is not a good idea. Deck collapses can be fatal, and wood deteriorates faster than you might imagine. Talk to and get estimates from many deck builders to guarantee you're making the greatest hiring decision possible. Be sceptical of a contractor who refuses to provide a reference list or proof of insurance coverage, or who submits a proposal that is significantly lower than the ones you got.
