Deck Stairs & Railings in Atlanta, GA

The Parts People Lean On

On a deck ten feet above a sloped yard, the railing is the only thing between a guest and the ground. It is also the part most likely to be held on by a couple of bolts that have been loosening for years, because the wood around them shrinks and swells with every Georgia summer and winter. A railing that gives a little when you lean on it will give more one day.

Why Posts Loosen

Most railing posts are bolted to the outside of the deck frame. That connection depends on the rim joist behind it being solid and the bolts staying tight. Rot at the rim, a bolt through a split, or a post that was only nailed will all show up as movement at the top of the rail. We fix the connection, not just the wobble - blocking behind the rim, proper hardware, and replacing posts that have rotted at the base.

Stairs on a Slope

Stairs down a hillside tend to be long, often with a landing halfway, and their bottom ends frequently rest directly on soil or on a paver that has sunk into the clay. Stringers rot from the ground up, landings settle, and one riser ends up a different height from the rest - which is exactly the step people trip on. We rebuild stairs to a consistent rise and run on a proper footing. Carpenter-bee damage in rail caps gets repaired at the same time, and new wood takes a stain to help keep them out.

Common across Alpharetta and Roswell builder decks, tall decks in Marietta and Sandy Springs, and older stairs in Smyrna and Atlanta. Loose posts are often a symptom of a wider deck repair, and railing replacement pairs naturally with new boards.

How long does it take? Usually one to two days, often alongside other repair work.