Preventing Deck Rot From Destroying Your Deck

Preventing Deck Rot From Destroying Your Deck

While no deck will last forever, an ounce of prevention will save you the time and money required for repairing and rebuilding it. The key here is preventing wood rot, which is a fungus that feeds on wood. It only takes a few spores finding a moist home inside your deck from which it begins eating it from the inside out. When this happens you’ll need to conduct deck repair. This means replacing the various parts of the deck or even the entire deck.

Fortunately, there are some things you can do to prevent wood rot:

  • Use Cedar, Redwood, or Composite wood for building your deck. These woods aren’t only sturdy and beautiful, they’re also resistant to rotting wood.
  • Keep your deck dry because this fungus thrives in moist environments. Fortunately, there are many good sealants available that work great and are easy to apply too. When applying a sealant make sure you cover everything, especially between the boards and at each end. Reapply this annually.
  • Although people don’t want gaps in their deck, you should know that wood that fits snugly together is a breeding ground for wood rot spores. With a slight gap there it’s also easier to apply sealant. A huge one isn’t necessary, just a small gap will make all the difference. Keep this in mind when installing a new deck and save yourself many problems in the future.

By taking these steps your deck won’t wood rot and none of this takes much effort. For more information about maintaining a beautiful deck, contact us. We look forward to helping you enjoy a great deck on which you can barbecue with your family this summer or watch the sun set this winter.

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