How to Boost Your Property’s Curb Appeal
Decks can be wonderful features to have in your back garden or around your home. They can help to break up a garden area and are perfect for putting your outdoor dining furniture on so you can all sit out and enjoy the sunshine with a cup of coffee or a cold beer after a long day. Yes, decks are great features to have, but they do require maintenance to keep them in good shape. If you can see any of the following signs in your decking, it might be time for some repairs or to get it replaced entirely.
Erosion Around the Posts
The posts that keep your decking securely in place are put in holes and then those gaps are filled with concrete. If you can see that the concrete is eroding around these posts and they feel a little loose, don’t ignore this. If this is not repaired quickly, it will result in your decking being unsafe and it could collapse.
Wobbling or Sloping Deck
Another big warning sign you need to watch out for is if your decking is starting to feel wobbly or you can notice it is sloping at a funny angle. If your decking is built up and around the side of your property, you might see that the wooden beams are coming away from the main house. This suggests that the foundations of your decking have worn or rotted away and you might need to get the whole thing replaced. If this is the case, contact professionals like these deck builders st louis who can install a new one for you or repair any damage.
Unstable Railings
If the railings that surround your deck begin to feel unstable you need to get them repaired immediately. As these railings are there to provide support for people who might be going walking up and down the steps on your decking, or they lean on them while they stand, if they are unstable a nasty accident could be the result. You should be able to simply replace the railing rather than the whole deck, but this will depend if the cause of the instability is due to another issue.
Rot
As decking is usually made from wood, being exposed to the elements over a long period will eventually cause the wood to break down and rot. You can and should use special treatments to help prevent this, but they won’t keep your deck free from rot forever. As soon as this starts to happen it will put the stability of your decking at risk. You might be able to replace affected boards before the rot spreads, which might be more cost-effective, but if it’s too late for this, you will need to tear your old deck down and replace it with a new one.
If you love having a deck in your back garden or are planning to have one installed, make sure you remember these four signs of damage so you can act fast on any necessary repair work you will need to do.
