Deck and fence repair in St. Joseph

Most decks fail from the bottom up and most fences fail at the posts, and in both cases what you can see is the last thing to go.

Is the deck worth repairing?

Surface boards are the cheapest part of a deck and the part everyone looks at. The parts that decide whether it is repairable are underneath:

• The ledger. Where the deck attaches to the house. This is the connection that fails catastrophically, and older decks were frequently attached with nails and no flashing. Water gets behind it and rots the rim joist of the house itself.
• Posts at grade. Posts set directly in soil or concrete without drainage rot at the ground line. Probe them — if a screwdriver sinks in, that post is done regardless of how the top looks.
• Joists and hangers. Rust-stained hangers and soft joist ends near the ledger tell you where the water has been going.

If the frame and ledger are sound, replacing boards and railings is good money. If the ledger is rotted or the posts are gone, you are rebuilding, and repair money is wasted.

We will tell you which one you have, including when the answer is that it needs to come down.

Railings

A deck railing that flexes when you lean on it is the most common unsafe thing we find. It is usually the post connection, not the rail itself. Worth fixing before a party, not after.

Fences

Fences fail at the post, almost always at ground level. A leaning section usually means one or two posts are gone, not that the fence is finished.

Replacing individual posts and resetting sections is very often the right repair and a fraction of a full replacement. It is worth asking for, because it is easier to quote a whole fence.

Gates are their own category — they sag because they are the only part of a fence that moves. Usually a bracing or hinge problem, occasionally a post problem, rarely a reason to replace the gate.

Before any fence work

Know where the line is. If there is any question, that gets settled before posts go in the ground — moving a fence afterward is expensive and it is a conversation with a neighbor nobody enjoys.