{"id":3231,"date":"2020-06-26T15:54:37","date_gmt":"2020-06-26T14:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/?p=3231"},"modified":"2021-12-21T13:41:25","modified_gmt":"2021-12-21T13:41:25","slug":"3-common-problems-with-your-decking-and-how-to-fix-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savoytimber.com\/help-and-advice\/3-common-problems-with-your-decking-and-how-to-fix-them\/","title":{"rendered":"3 common problems with your decking (and how to fix them)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now that the sun finally has his hat on, it\u2019s the perfect time to enjoy your decking in comfort, sunshine and warmth. But if you\u2019re just getting your decking ready, you may find that there are one or two problems that have developed with it over the winter – especially given the unusually heavy periods of rainfall we had this year, and the mild weather recently. If that\u2019s the case, happily you don\u2019t have to worry. We have a few tips and tricks on how you can fix them!<\/p>\n

Mould has developed on your decking<\/h2>\n

This is one of the single most common issues that lots of people discover on their decking in the spring, but it\u2019s not unheard of for people to discover it in summer, either. Mould is most likely to develop on decks on the northern side of the house – this is because the quality of the southern sun makes it a less hospitable environment for fungi to grow. We should say – it\u2019s important to deal with mould quickly, as it can become a dangerous slip hazard for family members or anyone else walking on your deck.<\/p>\n

The good news is that it\u2019s fairly easy to deal with – it can be simply washed off with a fungicide, but first it\u2019s a good idea to try to do the job with hot soapy water instead. (It\u2019s often cheaper and kinder on the environment, and it can save you a trip to the shops.)<\/p>\n

\"dont<\/p>\n

There are those who are firm believers in jet washing your decking, but obviously you\u2019ve got to be extremely careful with that, because the sheer strength of the water means that it\u2019s easier to chip your decking if you\u2019re not careful. If you spot any flaking, the standard advice is to first try scrubbing it or scraping it, as this does a better job of preserving the wood grain.<\/p>\n

As soon as your decking\u2019s clear, give it a bit of time to dry, and to finish off the job just apply a clear wood preserver (ideally designed for decking), or seal it with a sealant.<\/p>\n

Your decking has started to fade<\/h2>\n

This is in many ways the opposite problem to mould, as it\u2019s more common to have this issue after an extended period of sunny weather. It\u2019s not a particularly immediate change, but over enough time you may spot that your decking is starting to lose its sheen, and is instead looking faded and worn out. This isn\u2019t necessarily a huge problem, and doesn\u2019t pose the same immediate safety issues as mould does. However, it\u2019s a universal truth that your decking generally does generally last longer if you\u2019re prompt to treat the UV damage.<\/p>\n

Solving the problem of a fading deck is again quite straightforward – all you really need to do is re-stain it (or paint it<\/a>, if that\u2019s applicable). It\u2019s a good plan to be doing this once every two years anyway, to keep it looking at its very best. Make sure to use a product that\u2019s ideally suited for the job, and bear in mind that it\u2019s best to do this with a deck that\u2019s almost (but not quite entirely) dry, so give it a quick wash before you get started. You can find a few more tips in our previous blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The wood of your deck is rotting<\/h3>\n

This is definitely one that you can\u2019t ignore for too long, as rot can severely affect the structural integrity of your deck, and possibly pose another major safety hazard for you or anyone else walking on it. As you\u2019ve probably guessed, there\u2019s no product on the market that\u2019s going to magically reverse this damage. It\u2019s mostly just a matter of identifying the damaged decking boards or joists and replacing them.<\/p>\n

\"Decking-Rot\"<\/p>\n

Before you make any replacements, make sure to check the posts and joists too, so you can get a better picture of how far the rot has progressed. There\u2019s a quick and easy way to test for rot in a piece of wood that you think might be affected – just press a screwdriver into the surface of the wood. The further it can go with the bare minimum of effort, the greater the extent of the rot damage.<\/p>\n

As a final note, it\u2019s worth saying that you shouldn\u2019t consider the problem solved until you know where the water\u2019s actually coming from. A lot of the time, the problem can be down to rainwater that collects around the posts where they\u2019re emplaced in the ground. It\u2019s also wise to check the screws and nails attaching the decking posts to the joists.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the water may not be coming from within your decking at all – some homeowners have replaced entire sections of decking only to discover that the problem is actually being caused by leaky guttering above the deck. For this reason alone, it\u2019s a good plan to check these too – it could save you a whole lot of hassle in the long run!<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re looking for replacement decking boards for an existing deck, or even an easy fit decking kit to get you started on your decking project, you\u2019re in exactly the right place. Here at Savoy Timber, we\u2019ve got a huge range of products, from\u00a0easy fit decking kits<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0handrails, spindles and panels, or even our brand new sophisticated\u00a0composite decking boards<\/a>. Why not take a look around our site, and see what you can find?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Now that the sun finally has his hat on, it\u2019s the perfect time to enjoy your decking in comfort, sunshine and warmth. But if you\u2019re just getting your decking ready, you may find that there are one or two problems that have developed with it over the winter – especially given the unusually heavy periods […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":2577,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n3 common problems with your decking (and how to fix them) - Savoy Timber<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are few better ways to enjoy the summer weather than relaxing out on your decking. 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