Condo Media - October 2014 - 40

by Eric Churchill

MAINTENANCE

ON DECK
Four Factors When Considering Deck Replacement

s prized outdoor space, decks
are a leading indicator of
homeowner satisfaction - and
often a community's most
neglected assets.
That's starting to change. A growing
number of communities are transforming
their unattractive, high-maintenance decks
into great-looking, low-maintenance outdoor living spaces. Cracked and splintering wood is being replaced with long-lasting composite decking and railing systems.
Upgraded decks that were once seen as
liabilities are being celebrated as comfortable outdoor living and dining rooms.
Still, many associations continue to
spend good money on deck maintenance
and repairs long past the point when
complete deck replacement makes more
ﬁnancial sense.
Is it time to replace your decks? Here
are four key factors to consider when deciding whether to keep your aging decks
on life support - or replace them with
new decks that look better, last longer,
and yield greater long-term savings.

Are Your Decks
Causing Damage?

As structures that are attached to a
building's exterior, decks are sometimes
perceived as "less important" than other
building envelope components. Nothing
could be further from the truth.
In fact, the transition where a deck
attaches to an exterior wall is one of the
40

Condo Media * OctOber 2014

building envelope's most vulnerable areas
for water penetration.
Decks are typically fastened to the
building using a piece of lumber called a
ledger board. The seam where the ledger
board and deck meet the siding - like
all transition and penetration points in
the building envelope - must be ﬂashed
properly to prevent water penetration.
The ledger board ﬂashing detail is
particularly challenging. Unlike a sloped
roof and siding transition that tends to
shed water, the 90 degree intersection of
vertical siding wall and horizontal deck
surface allows rain, snow, and ice to accumulate and pool over the ledger board,
deck, and siding transition seam. The job
is further complicated when sliding doors
open onto the decks, as this transition
must also be ﬂashed and integrated into
the building envelope.
If the original ledger board ﬂashing
has not been installed correctly, or if the
ﬂashing has failed over time - which is
also common - water that ﬁnds its way
into the building envelope can cause signiﬁcant damage to the sidewall, framing,
and interior spaces.
Water penetration damage caused by
failed deck ﬂashing requires careful corrective action. To do the job right, the
deck must be removed from the building
to ensure that all components - deck,
ledger board, siding wall, and sliding
doors - are ﬂashed properly as integral
parts of the building envelope.

Removing, reﬂashing, and reattaching an existing deck is complicated ...
and expensive. For this reason, many
associations ﬁnd that instead of spending money on extensive repairs (and
future maintenance), replacing their
decks using new low-maintenance
materials produces the greatest savings
and value.

Are Your Decks
Safe and Sound?

Eventually, time, weather, and wear
take their toll on aging decks. Without
regular maintenance, it's easy for decks
to become eyesores. It's also common
for neglected decks to develop serious
structural and safety problems that can
go unnoticed.
Weathered and worn decks that affect your property's curb appeal are
one thing. But structural problems are
serious safety and liability hazards that
must be addressed. Some of these red
ﬂag structural conditions include:
* Concrete footings that are cracked,
crumbling, sinking, or listing.
* Support posts that are bowed, bending, cracking, or improperly seated on
footings.
* Weight-bearing posts and beams that
are undersized to support the additional load of a deck that has been
enclosed.
* Stairs stringers that are cracked or

Condo Media - October 2014

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