Deck repair in Calgary: a spring inspection checklist

After a Calgary winter, a deck has been through months of snow load, chinook thaws, refreezes and very dry wind. Before the barbecue comes out and the patio furniture goes back on, it is worth spending twenty minutes walking the deck with a screwdriver and a flashlight. Most problems you find will be small. A few are safety issues you want to catch before anyone leans on a railing.

This checklist goes from the surface down, and explains which repairs a handyman can take care of and which need a deck builder or engineer. We are posting it in fall so you can plan ahead; the same checks work any time the snow is off.

When to inspect

Wait until the snow is gone and the deck has dried out, usually some time in April or May in Calgary, though late spring snow is common. A dry deck shows checks, soft spots and stains more clearly. If you are planning to stain, you will need a run of dry, warm days anyway; see exterior painting season in Calgary.

The checklist

1. Deck boards

Walk every board. Look and feel for:

• Popped nails and screws. Freeze-thaw pushes nails up over the winter. They catch shovels and bare feet.
• Soft spots. Push a screwdriver into suspicious areas, especially at board ends and around fasteners. If it sinks in easily, the wood is rotting.
• Cupping and splitting. Boards that cup or split at the ends have been absorbing and losing water.
• Loose boards that bounce or rock.

Popped nails can be replaced with deck screws. Rotted, badly split or cupped boards can be replaced individually. Matching an older deck's colour exactly is hard, but a new board weathers and can be stained to blend.

2. Railings

Push firmly on every railing post and along the top rail. A railing should feel solid. Look for:

• Posts that move at the base
• Loose or missing balusters
• Cracked or split top rails
• Rotted post bottoms where they meet the deck

A wobbly railing is the most important thing on this list. Loose posts can often be re-secured with structural screws or through-bolts and blocking. Rotted posts need replacing.

3. Stairs

• Treads that are loose, cracked or soft
• Stringers (the angled side boards) with rot or cracks, especially near the ground
• A handrail that is loose or missing
• The bottom landing: has it heaved or sunk over winter?

Stairs often sit on a pad or ground contact at the bottom and are prone to frost movement and rot.

4. The ledger board

The ledger is the board bolted to the house that carries one side of an attached deck. It is the most important connection on the deck. From underneath, check:

• That it is bolted, not just nailed, to the house
• For rot or dark staining along the ledger
• For flashing above it that keeps water out of the joint
• For gaps between the ledger and the house

5. Joists and beams

From below, with a flashlight:

• Look for rot at the tops of joists, where water sits under the boards
• Check joist hangers for rust or missing nails
• Look for sagging or bounce in the middle of spans

6. Posts and footings

Calgary's deep frost and frost heave can move deck footings. Look for:

• Posts that have lifted or sunk
• Posts no longer sitting square on their footings
• Rot at the bottom of wood posts
• A deck that is no longer level, or doors that no longer clear the deck surface

Small adjustments are possible; significant footing movement means a deck builder.

7. Finish and water

Look at where water sits. Does snow melt drain off, or pool against the house? Is the stain worn through on the main traffic path? Bare grey wood at this altitude dries, checks and splits quickly. Re-staining every few years protects the boards.

Wood and composite decks

Most older Calgary decks are pressure-treated wood or cedar. Wood needs regular staining or sealing to slow checking and splitting in the dry, sunny climate, and board ends and fastener holes are where rot starts. Composite decking, common on newer homes, does not need staining and resists rot, but it has its own issues:

• Boards can be pitted or marked by hail
• Some older composite boards fade or grow mould on shaded decks
• Composite often sits on a wood frame, which still needs checking from below
• Hidden fastener systems can loosen over freeze-thaw cycles

Composite boards are replaced with matching profiles where they are still available. Wood boards are replaced individually and blended with stain. Either way, the framing underneath is what decides how long the deck lasts, so do not skip the checks from below.

What a handyman can fix

Kaur Handyman takes care of:

• Replacing popped nails with deck screws
• Replacing individual damaged boards and stair treads
• Tightening and reinforcing loose railings and replacing balusters
• Replacing damaged railing caps and post caps
• Securing and adjusting gates on deck stairs
• Cleaning, sanding and staining or painting
• Small trim and skirting repairs

What goes to a deck builder

• Full rebuilds or new decks
• Ledger, beam and footing replacement
• Structural problems such as significant sagging or a deck pulling from the house
• New decks or major changes that need a permit

The City of Calgary generally requires a building permit for uncovered decks more than 0.6 metres above grade at any point, and there are additional rules near property lines. If you are rebuilding or extending, check the City's current deck requirements first.

Calgary factors

• Frost heave affects stairs and footings the most. See what chinooks do to your house.
• Hail pits composite boards and splits weathered wood.
• Dry air and strong sun age stain quickly on south- and west-facing decks.
• Short season. The window for staining and outdoor work is short, so book spring repairs early.

Fences have many of the same issues, often in the same yard. If both need work, send them together; see fence repair in Calgary.

Selling this spring?

A solid deck with fresh stain is a cheap way to make a back yard photograph well, and loose railings show up in home inspections. See the pre-listing repair list.

For all other jobs, see the services list.

Free quote by text

Send a photo of your deck

Send a photo of the job, your neighbourhood and the days that suit you. You get a price back before anything is booked. Materials are agreed in the quote, and you can pay by Interac e-Transfer, cash or bank draft.

647‑806‑8070

Call now Text a photo

Calgary NW, NE, SW and SE, plus Airdrie and Chestermere.

Questions