This request for a visit from Ron came from the Williams family in Jacksonville, Florida. Here, the beautiful Victorian home had a deck with some not-so-beautiful rotting boards. There were actually two problems that needed to be fixed. First, the clogged downspout that caused the water damage needed some attention and secondly, the deck itself needed to be repaired. Ron Hazelton was just the man to help the family tackle both jobs.
Click Here For a list of what
you will need in order to complete this project.
|
 |
| |
|
1. Investigate:
- Ron recommended beginning this project by making certain that they knew the full extent of the problem. That meant removing all of the rotten boards and discovering exactly where the rot begins, where it ends and what is causing it.
|
 |
| |
|
- Some of the deck boards were attached with screws and some with nails. They needed to use a variety of tools including a nail remover, hammer, power driver and various pry bars to get all of the old boards up.
|
 |
| |
|
- After pulling up just a few deck boards, Ron was able to spot the culprit. Leaves and dirt from the overhanging canopy of oak trees had washed down and clogged up the downspout. Since the rainwater could no longer flow through, the water backed up, the gutters overflowed onto the deck, and mold and fungus quickly caused the rotting of the boards. Trimming back the trees and putting screens on the gutters would be helpful in keeping the leaves from clogging the downspout, but a problem still remained. Allowing a free flowing downspout to deposit its water underneath the deck could continue to spawn more mold and fungus.
|
 |
| |
|
2. Re-route the downspout:
- Once the decking was removed and Ron was able to have free access to the downspout, he decided to raise it up and create an incline so the water could drain away from the house and the deck. This was accomplished by shortening the original piece of downspout and adding another section to carry the water underneath the deck and discharge it out by the lawn.
|
 |
| |
|
- The problem had gone undetected for so long that the leaves and dirt had piled high at the base of the down spout, reaching the deck joists and providing a bridge for termites to reach the deck and even the framing of the house. All of the piled up dirt and leaves needed to be removed with a shovel before the downspout could be repaired.
|
 |
| |
|
- They removed the downspout and cleaned out the dirt, roots and debris that had collected over several years. Ron used a hacksaw to cut about six inches off the end of the downspout to allow clearance for the elbow and for a new piece of downspout to be installed under the deck.
|
 |
| |
|
- Ron reattached the downspout to the house using a sheet metal screw, and the original strapping.
|
 |
| |
|
3. Remove rotten boards:
- Ron tested the boards that they hadn't already removed for rot. He did this by poking the ends with a screwdriver. In some cases he was able to run the entire shaft of the screwdriver into the end of the board, which meant it needed to be replaced. The joists had suffered some superficial rot, but were basically in good shape and did not need to be replaced.
|
 |
| |
|
4. Cut and replace boards:
- After measuring each board, they used a square to mark off where each board needed to be cut. Some of the boards required a mitered end. To get the exact angle, they simply traced the old board onto the new one and then cut the new piece using the sliding compound miter saw.
|
 |
| |
|
- They measured and cut each deck board to match the ones they were replacing. Johnny used a saber saw to make curved and angled cuts to fit the boards around obstacles like conduits and rail posts.
|
 |
| |
|
- When building a new deck, you would usually create a consistent gap between each board. Ron generally uses a 16-penny nail for that. But when you're matching boards on an existing deck, as in this project, it is important to match the existing gaps. In this deck, all of the gaps were slightly different. Ron recommended using shims to create the varied gaps between each new board that would match the gaps between the old boards.
|
 |
| |
|
- Once the boards were in place, a pilot bit was used to pre-drill holes for the deck screws. Pilot holes are used to prevent the boards from splitting and to recess the screw heads. Three-inch galvanized deck screws were used to attach the new boards to the joists below.
5. Clean and brighten and seal:
Whenever new boards are added to an old deck, it is a good idea to use a deck wash or a deck-brightening agent to lighten the older parts of the deck to more closely match the new boards. Further, it is important to use a sealer on the wood as often as twice a year, especially in areas where there is a lot of moisture.
|
 |
| |
|
RESULTS:
It is one thing to make a repair, it is quite another to solve the problem and prevent the need for future repairs. Ron took care of both in just one visit! Not only have the old rotting boards been replaced on the deck, but the cause of the problem, a clogged downspout, was also taken care of. The water now flows out to the lawn where it belongs and no longer collects on or under the deck. Ron certainly was productive on this visit! |
 |
| |
|
