Is there a Simple Repair?

Completed Replacement
Elkridge, MD
October 23, 2021

The Damaged Board Removed
Elkridge, MD
October 23, 2021

It seemed simple enough: remove and replace a board on the deck which had not held up and had become a safety hazard.

OK, Chris put her foot through it on Friday. We used pressure treated lumber when we rebuilt the deck a couple years ago, but it seems that this particular piece may not have been completely treated. I checked all of the other boards in the area for similar deterioration and found none. 

So the project seemed easy, unscrew board, pull it up, measure the replacement and install! Not so fast! The heads of the screws were deteriorated and could not be turned so I had to cut the board on both sides of the support beam and chip the remaining piece out and then use a vice grip to turn each screw out of the beam. I had to do this for place the board crossed a support beam. It was a slog! 

By the time it was done, I was amazed at how many different tools I used. And of course there were two obligatory trips to Lowe's. One for supplies and then another to get the right saw blades to complete the job after I broke the one remaining jig-saw blade that I had. 

I managed to make it an all-day project, but completed it before a late-afternoon downpour drenched everything. 

Another project completed on a Saturday. Next Spring, after the board dries, I will apply the stain and probably stain the entire deck just to freshen everything. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD