Atlanta, Georgia Home Maintenance

Decks have become a common addition to many homes today. The added living and entertaining space a deck provides, especially during the warmer months. It is important to remember that proper maintenance is necessary in order to ensure that your deck will last, season after season.

While some decks are built with more traditional woods like redwood or cedar, most are made of pressure-treated pine. Like the more expensive varieties, good pressure-treated wood won't rot, but does need to be treated regularly with ultra violet and water sealers to avoid discoloration and to keep the surface free from rough spots, splits, cracks and splinters.

After a few weeks of exposure to the elements, a deck should be sealed, and regular maintenance should continue once a year. On a regular basis, boards should be checked for stability and protruding nails, and then thoroughly cleaned and resealed. Sealants come in either water or oil based formulas and can be applied by brush, roller or spray. Consider purchasing a better-quality sealant that contains UV protect ants formulated to reduce the damaging effects of the sun.

Deck Maintenance

Check the columns for decay or damaged areas, particularly at the bottom. Avoid direct wood/soil contact. Consider applying protective coating to columns as needed.

Check the top & bottom of columns to ensure properly secured to footings/beam. Check for proper footings and foundations.

Check for signs of settlement or heaving and make note to compare to the next year.

Check the columns to ensure they are reasonably plumb and adequately secured.

Check beams for decay or damaged areas.

Check to ensure joints on built up beams occur over columns, particularly if the built up beam consists of two wood members. Ensure built up beams are properly secured together.

Check for sags or excessive cracks. Consider providing additional support as needed.

Check joists and headers for decay or damaged areas.

Check the joists and headers to ensure they are properly secured.

Check to ensure the deck and entrances are properly supported and secured. Check for any signs of separation between the decks/entrances and the home. If supported by the house, ensure they are properly secured.

Inspect the decking for any splitting or warping replace when needed.

Check the stairs for decay and damaged areas.

Check the stairs to ensure they are properly secured to the decks and entrances.

Check to ensure risers are all even and about five to eight inches in height. Check to ensure treads are all even and about nine to twelve inches in width. The treads should be at least one inch thick, but are usually at least one and half inches thick. Check for raised nails and hammer down as needed.

Applying protective coating to guard rails and handrails as needed. Check the guard railings and handrails to ensure properly secured.

Check the height of the guard railings. Guard rails for decks and entrances should be at least thirty-six inches high, for, decks and entrances less than six feet high but higher than two feet above the finish grade. Guard rails should be at least forty-two inches high for decks and entrances that are more than six feet above the finish grade. Stairs guard rails should be at least thirty-two inches high for stairs higher than two feet. Consider installing guard rails where the height elevation varies by more than two feet, such as carports, retaining walls etc.

Check the height of the handrails. Handrails should be between thirty-two and thirty-six inches high. All stairs with at least three risers should have at least one handrail. Stairs wider than forty-four inches should have at least two handrails.

Check the openings on guard railings. They should be designed so a four inch round ball is unable to pass through. The guard rail should not be easily climbed by a child. Check for raised nails and hammer down.

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