Deck Repair You Can Do Yourself

Our Douglasville paint and construction company does deck repair for our customers in the greater Atlanta area. Decks are favorite gathering areas but they are also exposed to the elements 365 days a year and can develop problems that you simply can’t ignore.

We’d like to pass on some tips to fix common deck problems that may seem like they need professional attention but are easily remedied by the homeowner with moderate skill and a few power tools.

The Bouncy Deck

When you Vinings deck puts a bounce in your step when you would prefer a solid surface instead, you need stiffen it up to give you the confidence in its safety. Usually this problem occurs because of long joist spans between beams. The surefire solution is to add another beam and posts but that’s a major task.

There is another way that involves some time but is fairly easy to accomplish. You can add blocks of solid wood between spans. Start with the centerline of the deck and measure the space between each joist. Using the same size wood as the joists, cut “blocks” equal to each of the distances so they will fit snugly. Ideally they will be so snug you will need a hammer to tap them in. When you have the first row installed check the deck for bounce. If there is still a problem add a second row of blocks on the side of the centerline that is still not solid feeling. Read more