Decks Do Not Age Well | Davis Bay

Abstract: Davis Bay Home Inspector note on service life of wood decks.

Photo: 41 year old deck… its time has come and now it needs to be gone.

Signs Your Deck Is Rotten

Today’s inspection was of a well built house in Davis Bay. Almost a half century old with exterior wooden stairs and decks that have seen better days. What’s to like? Sunken footings for the raised deck supporting columns, tilting deck structure, perimeter joists that are well and truly rotted out, wood guardrail posts with crumbling bases.

Time to Replace

Sometimes enough is enough and you have to call a spade a spade. No amount of paint, fiber-glassing or board repairs are going to make these wooden structures any more secure, or more importantly, safe.

Four decades of service is already two decades more than they were originally intended to last. It’s up to the property inspector to point out the obvious to the home buyers and stress that demolition is the only option.

Service Life

In our temperate rain forest environment, 20 years is about all you can expect for a service life for a wood deck. If you have gotten any more life out of the structure, then consider yourself lucky. Nonetheless, if the deck is older than your adult kids, then budget for replacement sometime soon.