The Case of the Rotting Deck Boards

Your intrepid local handyman has found another mystery:

Why are these deck boards rotting?

They're treated lumber, so they should be in good shape, but my clients tell me that they often get rotten wood in this same spot. They've had the boards replaced before, but this time the rot even extended into some of the framing supports.

After digging into the matter (as it were) I discovered that they usually keep planters on this spot. Normally even the planters shouldn't be a problem, but I suspect that there's a chemical reaction happening between the plant fertilizer that leaches onto the treated lumber.

​Well, that's enough "science" for the day. Let's do some real work.

This looks bad, but it could have been worse. Most of the framing is actually in good shape, and we can even keep a few of the deck boards. I cut into it and pried out the rotten stuff, then replaced it with new wood. A bit hard on the back but not time-consuming.

Now we'll let the new wood cure and then call in the deck refinishers.

Need minor deck repairs? If you're in Asheville or Weaverville, give me a call. I'll be glad to help.

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