Help with deck repair
Looking for help on repairing a Trex style deck (Wilson decking) on a home that was built 9 years ago. I know a lot about repair & am a DIY type of person , but little about construction & decks. It’s a raised composite type deck with about 6 steps going down into the yard. The bottom step sits on a slightly raised concrete pad under the step, but you step off it into grass. I was underneath the deck, as I’m adding a gate at the top of the steps & noticed 2 of the inner “step support” boards (the ones cut in the shape of steps) & the lowest board that is mounted the concrete pad is starting to rot. The actually bottom step board that sits flat on the concrete pad is almost all rotted away. I think I can tackle this repair by myself. I see how the steps disassemble & support boards are mounted. I’m not quite sure why this happened, as it’s only a portion of 2 of the boards & the bottom board & everything else looks good. I’m guessing excess water hits it, but it doesn’t puddle at the steps. Maybe the boards where just bad when new? Question #1 is, I think the right lumber to replace the board get is “ pressure treated ground contact lumber”? Is there anything else I can treat this with to make it more resistant to water? Question # 2 is, the board that goes across the concrete pad that supports the “kick” part of step #1 from the bottom is pretty much completely rotted away. I can see how the steps come apart & how to replace this board. However, the board was mounted to the concrete pad with these “nails” that look like what I would call old horshoe nails. The nails are firmly in the concrete, even where the board is rotted away. This board also “shims” & supports the bottom 4x4” post of the railing. I’m not sure how you nail wood into concrete - maybe it was wet & they sat it in there? Anyway, when I replace this board, I’m guessing I will rip the nails out & the correct way to mount the new board would be drill the concrete where the old nail holes were & use concrete anchors? submitted by /u/howlingredsheet [link] [comments]
Looking for help on repairing a Trex style deck (Wilson decking) on a home that was built 9 years ago. I know a lot about repair & am a DIY type of person , but little about construction & decks.
It’s a raised composite type deck with about 6 steps going down into the yard. The bottom step sits on a slightly raised concrete pad under the step, but you step off it into grass. I was underneath the deck, as I’m adding a gate at the top of the steps & noticed 2 of the inner “step support” boards (the ones cut in the shape of steps) & the lowest board that is mounted the concrete pad is starting to rot. The actually bottom step board that sits flat on the concrete pad is almost all rotted away.
I think I can tackle this repair by myself. I see how the steps disassemble & support boards are mounted. I’m not quite sure why this happened, as it’s only a portion of 2 of the boards & the bottom board & everything else looks good. I’m guessing excess water hits it, but it doesn’t puddle at the steps. Maybe the boards where just bad when new?
Question #1 is, I think the right lumber to replace the board get is “ pressure treated ground contact lumber”? Is there anything else I can treat this with to make it more resistant to water?
Question # 2 is, the board that goes across the concrete pad that supports the “kick” part of step #1 from the bottom is pretty much completely rotted away. I can see how the steps come apart & how to replace this board. However, the board was mounted to the concrete pad with these “nails” that look like what I would call old horshoe nails. The nails are firmly in the concrete, even where the board is rotted away. This board also “shims” & supports the bottom 4x4” post of the railing.
I’m not sure how you nail wood into concrete - maybe it was wet & they sat it in there? Anyway, when I replace this board, I’m guessing I will rip the nails out & the correct way to mount the new board would be drill the concrete where the old nail holes were & use concrete anchors?
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