Deck repair
Some decks are not worth repairing. When the posts, the ledger and a good share of the joists have all failed, patching them costs close to a new deck and leaves you with an old one. That is common on Atlanta decks built in the 1970s through 1990s, before modern connection hardware and flashing were standard. Replacement means tearing out to the footings, then building to the code your city or county now enforces: proper footings, bolted ledger, bracing and guard heights. The surface is then a choice between pressure-treated and composite.
Repair is usually the better spend, and we lead with it. But there is a point where it stops being true: when the posts are rotten at grade, the ledger has failed, and a good share of the joists are soft, you are paying close to the price of a new deck to keep an old one. At that point replacement is the honest recommendation, and we put the comparison in writing so you can see it.
Decks built across metro Atlanta in the 1970s through 1990s often predate the connection hardware, flashing, footing and guard details that inspectors look for today. A replacement is the chance to get all of it right at once: footings sized and placed properly, posts on post bases rather than in the clay, a bolted and flashed ledger, lateral bracing and guard rails at the correct height for a deck that stands well above the yard. It goes through a permit and inspections, which we handle.
On top, the choice is between pressure-treated and composite. Composite makes the most sense on a sunny deck where you never want to stain again; a heavily shaded deck can do well in either with the right care. Replacement is also the moment to change the layout, add a landing or a wider stair, or build the frame heavy enough to screen it in later.
Most common on original decks in East Cobb, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Roswell and Alpharetta. Not sure it has reached that point? Start with a structural inspection.
How long does it take? Tear-out is quick; the build is days once the permit and material are in hand.
These usually turn up on the same inspection:
Sistered joists, new beams and posts, footings reset below the clay - the structure that holds a tall deck up.
Learn More →The board that bolts the deck to the house - the most common serious failure, and the one that also lets water into your wall.
Learn More →Screen in an existing deck so it is usable through mosquito season - after we confirm the frame can carry a roof.
Learn More →Free - No Obligation
Two minutes. We call you back the same day.