Projects & renovation

The parts an inspector actually looks at

A deck fails at its connections, not in the middle of a board. Ledger attachment, post bases and rail anchorage are where the liability sits, and they are usually the parts nobody photographed.

Decks are the highest-liability exterior structure on a residential property, and the failure mode is sudden. The board surface is what a resident notices and what a tenant complains about, but the things that actually cause a collapse are the ledger connection to the house, the post-to-beam and post-to-footing connections, and how the guard rail is anchored. Those are the first things our vendors look at.

The most common serious defect we find is a ledger board fastened with nails, or lag-bolted without flashing. Nails were never adequate in tension, and an unflashed ledger rots the rim joist behind it out of sight. Both are fixable, and both are much cheaper to fix than to discover.

Routine work is more mundane: replacing split, cupped or rotten boards, resetting popped fasteners, rebuilding rails to current height and infill spacing, replacing stair treads and stringers, and cleaning and resealing to slow the next round of decay. On composite decks the boards outlive the framing, so we check whether you are maintaining a surface sitting on a structure that needs attention.

For new builds and full replacements we scope footing depth, span and joist spacing for the actual load and the local frost line, and where a permit and inspection are required the vendor is licensed for that jurisdiction. Getting span tables wrong is the kind of mistake that passes visual inspection for years and then does not.

Every deck job comes back with photographs of the structural connections, not just the finished surface. If you own rental property, those photos are the record you want if a guard rail is ever questioned.

What’s included

Structural assessment of ledger, posts, footings and rails
Board, fastener and stair tread replacement
Rail rebuilds to current height and infill spacing
Rot repair including rim joist and framing
New deck construction with permit-ready vendors
Cleaning, sealing and staining

Best for: Owners with an ageing deck, and anyone who needs the structure documented rather than assumed.

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Common questions

Decking: what people ask.

How do I know if a deck needs replacing or repairing?

It comes down to the framing and the connections, not the boards. Sound structure with tired boards is a repair. A rotted ledger, undersized footings or failing posts usually make replacement the cheaper answer once you price the fix properly.

What do you check first?

The ledger connection to the house, post-to-beam and post-to-footing connections, and rail anchorage. Nailed or unflashed ledgers are the most common serious defect we find, and both are hidden from a casual look.

Do you photograph the structure?

Yes — connections and framing, not only the finished surface. For rental property that record is what you want on file if a guard rail is ever questioned.

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