I get what you mean about patching—tried that once myself and it just delayed the inevitable. My process now is pretty methodical: I walk every square foot, pressing with my foot and a pry bar to check for any flex or soft spots. If there’s even a little give, I pull up the suspect boards and see what’s going on underneath. Sometimes it’s just surface damage, but if there’s blackened wood or that musty smell, I replace the whole section. It’s a pain, but I’d rather deal with it now than have to rip up new shingles later. For me, if the deck isn’t rock solid, underlayment’s just not going to last.
I hear you on not trusting patch jobs. I’ve seen too many “quick fixes” come back to haunt folks, especially after a wet spring. I’m a bit more cautious, maybe even paranoid—if I find a soft spot, I’ll poke around with a screwdriver just to see how deep it goes. Sometimes it’s just the top layer, but once I found a whole section that looked fine until I pulled up the first board and it crumbled in my hands. Learned the hard way: if it smells funky or feels spongy, it’s gotta go. I’d rather spend an extra hour now than deal with leaks down the road.
if it smells funky or feels spongy, it’s gotta go. I’d rather spend an extra hour now than deal with leaks down the road.
Couldn’t agree more—nothing worse than thinking you’ve got a solid deck, then a storm rolls through and you’re chasing leaks for weeks. I always check from underneath too if I can get access, especially in older homes. Sometimes the rot hides between layers and you won’t spot it from above. Had a job last year where the plywood looked fine up top, but underneath was black as night. Ended up replacing way more than planned, but at least we caught it before laying anything new down. It’s never just “one board,” is it?
It’s never just “one board,” is it?
Man, that line hits home. Every single time I think I’ve found the “one” soft spot, I end up poking around and suddenly half the deck is coming up. Last summer, I was trying to save a few bucks and patch just a corner where the gutter had been leaking. Figured it’d be a quick fix—just swap out a couple sheets of plywood, slap down the underlayment, call it a day. Nope. Once I started pulling things up, it was like peeling an onion... except every layer smelled worse than the last.
I’ll admit, I don’t always crawl underneath if I can help it (knees aren’t what they used to be), but you’re right—sometimes that’s where the real mess is hiding. Had a spot that looked totally fine from above, but when I finally got under there (with a flashlight and a lot of grumbling), it was black and crumbly. Ended up doubling my budget for that project, which wasn’t exactly what I wanted to tell my wallet.
Here’s my question: do you guys replace everything that looks even a little sketchy, or do you try to treat some of the borderline stuff? I’ve heard mixed things about those wood hardeners and rot treatments. Part of me wants to trust them, but part of me thinks if it’s already soft, it’s just going to get worse. Maybe I’m just cheap, but sometimes I wonder if I’m being too cautious—or not cautious enough.
Anyway, totally agree about spending the extra hour now versus weeks chasing leaks later. Learned that lesson the hard way more than once.
do you guys replace everything that looks even a little sketchy, or do you try to treat some of the borderline stuff?
Honestly, if it’s soft or black, it’s out—no question. Those wood hardeners are just a band-aid in my experience. I’ve tried them, and it always comes back to haunt me six months later. It stings the budget up front, but chasing rot year after year is worse.