Deck Construction & Renovation

Decks do not usually fail at the boards. They fail at the ledger — the board bolted to the house that carries half the deck's load — and they fail at the footings. A ledger nailed rather than through-bolted, or fastened to sheathing instead of to rim framing, or fitted without flashing so water sits behind it and rots the band board, is the single most common serious defect we find on existing decks. Footings that stop above the frost line are the second. So that is where we start: proper lags or through-bolts in a staggered pattern, flashing over and behind the ledger, and footings dug below frost onto undisturbed bearing. After that it is joists at the right span, blocking, and boards with consistent gaps and hidden or plugged fasteners. We build new decks and rebuild tired ones.