May is national deck
safety month. Decks are without a doubt one of the
most dangerous areas on a property. Most would think
you were crazy if you didn’t change the oil in your
car, yet homeowners often overlook periodic deck
maintenance. There are over 40 million wood decks in
the US. We add about 300,000 new decks per year
through new construction. It is estimated that half
of all decks –that is roughly 20 million decks –are
over 20 years old.
Many of those have
significant deterioration, were improperly
constructed, and/or utilize substandard construction
methods. Newer decks are not immune for issues as
they may be subject to failure due to the
impact of pressure-treated (PT) lumber and
accelerated corrosion.
Most experts agree
that the average service life of a wood deck is
around 10-15 years. Many older decks were built
prior to the codes providing any significant
guidance. Unfortunately, wood decks are still viewed
as a DIY project that can be built over a long
weekend or something that the gardener or the
handyman can do.
