My old deck is an embarrassment

[Jess from VA]

Built on the ground off the back of my house over 30 years ago, out of the 'good' pressure treat, 24 feet wide by 16 foot long.  Only a hack carpenter myself, but back then I had a retired Navy chief neighbor who was a master carpenter, and we got along famously.  Me just out of the Air Force (9 yrs), we would trade military stories, and drink a lot of beer.  He was an old Alabama boy, had been a deep water sailor all over the world, and funny as hell and kept me in stitches.  He taught me to use the tools, and measure the wood and he would supervise while I worked.

When finished, I sanded and stained it, and it looked like a beautiful gymnasium floor.  He was also an expert electrician, and we ran 220 out there and put a very nice Jacuzzi 4 man hot tub on it, as well as a 5 foot tall concrete fountain (which was a big mistake with water damage over the years).  The wife and I would entertain with other couples out there.

Fast forward to today, the fountain is gone and so is the Jacuzzi.  I no longer use the deck for anything but a work area (occasionally).  Age, water damage and rot are covered with pieces of scrap lumber, mostly plywood, but also a patchwork of 1X4, 1X6, 2X4 pieces.  I've stained it down dark to sort of hide the embarrassment.  I just came in from covering two new holes my foot could go through.  

I've thought about repairing it, but it would take 23 pressure treat eight foot 2X6's ($$), and hours yanking out 4" twist nails with a crowbar, but I'm not doing it.  (Only a few of the deck boards are bad all the way across, most are just bad on one end, and the frame underneath remains good and solid.) 

Fortunately, it cannot be seen from the street/sidewalk (and the nice handrail around the outside which can be seen is still in excellent shape).  It's just a hard use work area that is rarely used.  

I do not post my own pictures on here and would be too embarrassed to do it if I could.  

    

[da prez]

  Do a little destruction bit by bit. It will soon disappear.  A stone step and pavers will clean it up.

                                     da prez

[Jess from VA]

Ross, it's still a solid deck (with solid though ugly repairs), I'm not going to tear it off.  It just doesn't look very good.  

I have a lot of stone around the place too.  It doesn't wear out.  

[Serk]

My brain swapped the e for an i and I was thinking WoW! Ole' Jess is REALLY oversharing these days!

But seriously... Repair/replace the structurally bad boards, then cover the whole thing in outdoor carpeting?

[Jess from VA]

My brain swapped the e for an i and I was thinking WoW! Ole' Jess is REALLY oversharing these days!    My e for i, is doing remarkably well.  Good thing since I have to pee through it 47 times a day.  

But seriously... Repair/replace the structurally bad boards, then cover the whole thing in outdoor carpeting?

I'm not replacing 23 eight foot boards on a deck I use maybe once a month, and if I did, covering a deck with carpet is a terrible idea.  But thanks for weighing in.  

[Jersey mike]

If just the surface boards are in bad shape, then you still have something to build on. Is everything on 16” centers?

You could either go the easy way with pressure treated 3/4” plywood and throw some of that outdoor grass carpet over it or have a pro come in and fiberglass it or have a pro come in and put a decking product similar to Trex installed.

[Jess from VA]

I believe it is 16" on centers.

I'm not fixing it beyond what I've done, although I have some better plywood I can use when the weather is warmer and will get out my circular saw.  I still have piles of ice back there from the big storm 3 weeks ago.

I'm not paying anyone to do what I won't do.

With a deck that will likely require continuing repair, I would never cover it with carpet which would hide the damage and have to be removed for additional repairs.   

If I really feel energetic, when it warms up and I get it better repaired, I will power wash it and stain it again (mainly for weatherproof, not looks).  

[Jersey mike]

I believe it is 16" on centers.

I'm not fixing it beyond what I've done, although I have some better plywood I can use when the weather is warmer and will get out my circular saw.  I still have piles of ice back there from the big storm 3 weeks ago.

I'm not paying anyone to do what I won't do.

With a deck that will likely require continuing repair, I would never cover it with carpet which would hide the damage and have to be removed for additional repairs.   

If I really feel energetic, when it warms up and I get it better repaired, I will power wash it and stain it again (mainly for weatherproof, not looks).  

Sorry Jess, it seemed as though you didn’t want to have a dangerous situation on hand and didn’t want to be the one pulling up the old P/T lumber. I was just trying to offer up some new options that would be available in case you were interested in something else.

[Jess from VA]

No apology necessary Mike, this post was intended to invite comments, suggestions and ideas.

And to make guys laugh.   

I covered the two new holes, so there's no more danger (although some of my patches are small trip hazards).   

[Hook#3287]

Cover it with metal roofing.

Just kidding.

If the joists and beams are still structurally sound, replacing the deck should not be overly difficult and should take 2 competent carpenters about a day, based on your stated size.

But, then there's guard system and stairs, if any.

My 35+ deck is starting to show its age, but so am I, so we'll age together.

Some of the deck boards are comprised and need replacement, so I just don't look there and stay clear when walking by.

[Jess from VA]

Cover it with metal roofing.

Just kidding.

If the joists and beams are still structurally sound, replacing the deck should not be overly difficult and should take 2 competent carpenters about a day, based on your stated size.

But, then there's guard system and stairs, if any.

My 35+ deck is starting to show its age, but so am I, so we'll age together.

Some of the deck boards are comprised and need replacement, so I just don't look there and stay clear when walking by.

The deck sits on the ground Bill, so there's just one easy step up from the concrete walk that runs to it.

The outside handrail (4X4 uprights with lattice) is perfect.  The underlying framework is good.

The inside half of the deck that butts the house is also near perfect.  But the outside corner that had the stupid water fountain on it is patched with plywood which is mostly solid, but has some spongy spots I avoid. 

With no garage, I stored a bunch of scrap lumber and plywood by screwing it vertically to my 7' fence behind the 2 sheds and covered it with vinyl sheeting, so it has stayed pretty solid (and I did such a good job I have not wanted to rip it all off to use for salvage).  All my previous patches have been made with whatever I could find, a little at a time, and it shows.

I've decided what I need to do is uncover it and see what I have, and/or buy new plywood, tear off all the old patches and do a better job than the hodgepodge that's on there now.

I will not restore it properly with deck boards, but I will do a better more solid plywood repair.  Eventually.   

[Hook#3287]

I definitely get it Jess.

Lately, my attitude on house maintenance is "It's only got last as long as me"

[h13man]

I'm looking at 32 yr. old 10'x12' deck removal this year but @ 26" above ground level. Sawsall will be the primary removal tool.

[Jess from VA]

I definitely get it Jess.

Lately, my attitude on house maintenance is "It's only got last as long as me"

That's exactly my attitude too Bill.  

After all the discussion in this thread, I got out there today (breezy 50) and uncovered my wood, and found some good plywood, and spent all afternoon improving my patchwork.

Got out the tape measures, hammer, drills, screws, builder's square, circular saw, pry bar, but none of that makes me a good carpenter.  

All but one of my poor spongy old repairs is now solid (for a while anyway).

The last one needs a much bigger piece of wood than I have, but it won't let your foot go through unless you jump up and down on it.  

[Jersey mike]

I definitely get it Jess.

Lately, my attitude on house maintenance is "It's only got last as long as me"

That's exactly my attitude too Bill.  

After all the discussion in this thread, I got out there today (breezy 50) and uncovered my wood, and found some good plywood, and spent all afternoon improving my patchwork.

Got out the tape measures, hammer, drills, screws, builder's square, circular saw, pry bar, but none of that makes me a good carpenter.  

All but one of my poor spongy old repairs is now solid (for a while anyway).

The last one needs a much bigger piece of wood than I have, but it won't let your foot go through unless you jump up and down on it.  

  Safety first Jess.

Worry about ascetics later when the time is right and the weather is more cooperative.

[Jess from VA]

It's just an old beat up patched deck.  The rest of the yard back there is pretty much a mud hole anyway, although having the two giant old oaks back there severely trimmed back will let more light back in for grass, I'm not going to try and get lawn going.... the heck with that.

My contractor buddy told me to just tear it off.  No way I'm doing that, and just make more mud hole.

It remains a good dry work area for other projects, and now safe to walk (or drink beer) on.    

[Jess from VA]

I needed stuff at the Home Depot this morning, and while there I looked at plywood.

Holy crap is that stuff expensive. 

They sell smaller pieces than 4 X 8', but I failed to measure the last piece I need to complete my final repair.  But at those prices I'll probably just use some more old stuff I have laying around.