Welcome to our effort at capturing the restoration process of a deck in disrepair.  

Who restores their deck?  

A.  Anyone who can live with a restored deck as opposed to a new one.  B.  Anyone who likes the idea of restoring and saving 50%-75% off the cost of replacing.  

What's the scope of a deck restoration?  Simply stated, we remove all rotted wood from your deck, replace it with new and apply a new coat or two of stain.    

This deck was a train wreck.  Your deck may require significantly less work and cash outlay.  If your currently in the custody of a new deck quote for something in the neighborhood of $20,000, the restored deck at the end of this diary might put a smile on your face...............the entire job was completed for well under half of that $20,000.    

How do we restore for so much less than replacing?  Joists, beams, support posts and ledgers (the decks framework) are protected from the elements (sun, wind, rain, your garden hose and sprinklers) by the decks rim joists, decking, stairs and anything else that keeps these elements from reaching the heart and sole of the deck.  Construction of this framework requires tedious excavation and construction with expensive big timber and hardware.  

The people who do this work are way up the food chain of deck construction and  are paid accordingly.  When your deck requires only parts and pieces of this framework to be replaced due to rot and wear, your halfway to the finish line before you begin the restoration process.  Getting to the finish line usually entails the replacement of stairs, rail posts, rails rim joists and decking.  To sum: cheaper lumber replaced by a carpenter with a smaller skill-set.    

How long does the process take?  Assuming no weather delays, the average job takes 5 working days from the time the first rotten board is removed until the final pass of the spray gun has been made.  Take a look at the photos and captions below to get a general idea of the process in 2 minutes of less.