Sometimes even a solid-looking board can surprise you...
- Had a deck once that looked fine—walked across it, foot went straight through. Turns out the rot was hiding underneath, right where water pooled by the grill.
- Moisture meters are cool, but my wallet says “nah.” I usually poke around with a screwdriver and, if it sinks in like butter, time to replace.
- Shaded spots are always the sneaky ones. Learned to trust my nose—if it smells musty, there’s trouble brewing.
- Butter knife? Haven’t tried, but hey, whatever works in a pinch. Just don’t use your good cutlery...
Moisture meters are cool, but my wallet says “nah.” I usually poke around with a screwdriver and, if it sinks in like butter, time to replace.
That’s pretty much my approach too. I tried borrowing a moisture meter once, but honestly, the old screwdriver test tells me what I need to know. I’ve also learned the hard way that just because the top looks fine doesn’t mean there isn’t a swamp underneath. Had a board by the stairs that looked perfect—until I leaned on it and nearly ended up in the crawlspace. Turns out, the joist was toast from years of rain sneaking in at the edge.
I do a “tap test” sometimes—just knock along the boards and listen for that hollow sound. Not exactly scientific, but it’s saved me from a few surprises. And yeah, shaded spots are always trouble. If it smells funky or feels spongy, I’m not taking chances.
Never tried the butter knife trick, but I’ve definitely sacrificed a few old screwdrivers to the cause. Better than risking a trip to urgent care, right?
I do a “tap test” sometimes—just knock along the boards and listen for that hollow sound. Not exactly scientific, but it’s saved me from a few surprises.
I get the appeal of the “poke and tap” method—cheap, quick, and you don’t have to dig through the garage for fancy gadgets. But I’ll be honest, after patching up more than a few decks that looked fine on top but were basically compost underneath, I started leaning on moisture meters a bit more. Yeah, they’re not cheap, but neither is replacing half your decking because you missed a soft spot.
I’ve seen plywood that passed the screwdriver test but was still holding enough water to make a mushroom farm jealous. Especially after a wet spring, those hidden pockets can sneak up on you. I’m not saying toss out the screwdriver (mine’s got battle scars too), but sometimes a little tech saves you from headaches down the road.
And about the “smells funky” test—my nose isn’t what it used to be after years of solvents and shingles. I’d rather trust a meter than my sinuses these days.
I’m with you on the moisture meter—after a few “looks fine, falls through” moments, I stopped trusting just my eyes and ears. I still do the tap and poke routine out of habit, but if I’m prepping a deck for underlayment, especially in older buildings or after a wet season, I want numbers. The meter’s paid for itself just by catching those spots that felt solid but were quietly rotting from the inside out.
One thing I’ve noticed: even with a meter, you’ve got to check more than just the obvious trouble spots. Corners and edges near flashing or where water might pool are always suspect. I’ve had decks where the middle was bone dry but the perimeter was a swamp under the surface. Sometimes it’s not even visible until you pull up a board.
I do still rely on my nose sometimes, but like you said, years of paint fumes and whatever else have dulled that sense. If it smells musty, it’s usually bad news, but lack of smell doesn’t mean you’re in the clear.
Curious if anyone’s tried those infrared cameras for this? I’ve only borrowed one once and it was interesting—picked up some cold spots that lined up with wet wood—but not sure it’s worth buying unless you’re doing this all the time.
For me, it’s a mix: tap test for quick checks, moisture meter for anything serious, and if there’s any doubt, I’ll pull up a board or two. It’s a pain in the moment but way better than dealing with callbacks or repairs after the fact. Anyone else run into issues with hidden rot even after using a meter? Sometimes I wonder if there’s ever a foolproof method...
- Totally agree on not trusting just the “poke and prod” method—my knuckles have been wrong more than once.
- I use a meter too, but yeah, it’s not magic. Had a deck last fall where the joists read fine, but one end was mush under the flashing.
- Corners and anywhere water sneaks in are always on my hit list.
- I’ve borrowed an IR camera a couple times—helpful, but honestly, it’s more of a backup than a main tool for me.
- Pulled up boards “just in case” plenty of times...sometimes you find nothing, sometimes you find a science experiment.
- Foolproof method? Not yet. Just layers of paranoia and experience, I guess.