Now that summer is winding down, you may decide to make repairs to your deck before the weather gets too chilly. You would want to turn to a trusted roofing company in Austin, TX, and the surrounding area, that specializes in deck repairs. Read on for a few common steps your repair may need.
- Clean: Sometimes a thorough cleaning may be enough to bring an old deck back to life. Make sure you properly dry the deck and reseal it if needed.
- Remove Nails: If there is damage that has to be repaired, you will need to remove nails or screws in order to pry up boards, so you can better assess the extent of the damage. Depending on the state of the decking itself, the boards you remove can either be replaced or repaired.
- Inspect Support Joists: Once the damaged boards have been removed, you can better inspect the potentially rotted joists below. If the support joists themselves are in fact rotted, remove the bad portions of the wood.
- Apply Sealer: Once the rotted parts of the joists have been chiseled away, you need to apply a sealer to stop the decay. You may also need to apply sealer to other portions of the deck. Depending on the stain and sealer used, your deck may have to be resealed every year or every four to five years. Your local contractor can help you set up a maintenance schedule for your deck.
- Add Reinforcements: If you had to remove portions of decayed joists, you should add reinforcements. This part of your deck repair will help ensure your deck remains sturdy.
- Attach New Boards: Before you attach new boards, you want to make sure they are cleaned, stained and sealed to match the rest of your deck. Attach the boards securely with nails or screws to finish off your repair.
Not all deck repairs will follow the same set of steps. Repairing your deck after summer may help extend its service life. Work with the local remodeling experts to make sure your deck is well maintained.
