Mold and wood decay

This is what happens when deck and waterproofing maintenance is ignored. Upon inspecting this deck, it turned out the damage was much greater than expected. Because of not paying attention to early signs of water proofing failure, this deck continued to leak over a good period of time, leading to not only mold, but structural failure. I was able to stick my hand through the garage beam that supports the second floor and the deck above. The only thing holding the framing together was the stucco. The owner was very lucky to only get away with paying out thousands of dollars for the repair. If this had waited any longer, there could have been more serious problems. Did you know there are stricter codes to build decks than for the subfloors inside your house? It's because local authorities know that is where the party is. You put 30 people on a deck, your talking over 2 tons of weight! Have an inspector check your deck out.

Reseal your deck

Throw a bucket of water on your decking to see if you need to reseal. If the water beads up, then your sealant is still working. If the water is absorbed by the decking, then it's time to get some sealant. A deck that isn't sealed properly is vulnerable to the elements and may experience rotting, warping and splitting. Performing routine maintenance is far cheaper than replacing the deck so make sure you keep your decking in tip-top shape.

--LIterature by Kudzu
--Photo by My San Diego Home Inspector

Railing dryrot prevention tip

Tip: If you have posts anchored to the side of your deck, be sure there is sufficient space between the deck and post to allow water to pass by and dry. Trapped water causes rot. This picture shows what happens over time when a post is fastened up against the deck (facia) board. One way to avoid this is placing large washers (2-3) between the posts and the facia board.