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Deathwing

Deathwing

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Dandai said:
Filling and painting will definitely extend the life. The crack will continue to get worse with raw wood exposed to moisture and direct sun. Not sure how durable the paint will be vs sealing but the paint will probably be more aesthetically pleasing if the wood is in disrepair. If you feel any particularly soft or spongey spots, dig out the rotted wood and fill it. Don’t just paint over it.
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A sealing stain might have been better. I don't really know the difference between sealing and paint. But the deck came painted, so switching didn't seem an option.

Should I be considering something besides wood putty?
 
BrutulTM

BrutulTM

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Foler said:
Man. How awesome would a in deck hot tub be? Since the deck is elevated you could actually do it complete recessed. I'd prob put it in the middle and extend that part of the deck half length of hot tub out (thus no railing where hot tub is) to give it a sort of infinity pool feel. The view would be epic. Here's half of the deck now and a pick of a recessed hot tub. Mine would be on the side overlooking the land/river.

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I have never had one, but I think a hot tub is one of those things that sounds nice, but after the first month it just becomes something you have to maintain constantly and don't use that much. I know they turn into a cesspool pretty quickly if you don't stay on top of maintenance and keeping chemicals in them and whatnot.
 
Dandai

Dandai

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Deathwing said:
A sealing stain might have been better. I don't really know the difference between sealing and paint. But the deck came painted, so switching didn't seem an option.

Should I be considering something besides wood putty?
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Not sure what else you’d want to use besides putty whether you’re staining or painting. Just make sure you follow the directions on the label (especially regarding the max application thickness and the area being dry and clean). There’s nothing wrong with painting the deck. Just make sure you get the correct stuff (ie rated for exterior use, labeled for deck boards? Dunno if that’s a thing).
 
Foler

The_Black_Log Foler

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BrutulTM said:
I have never had one, but I think a hot tub is one of those things that sounds nice, but after the first month it just becomes something you have to maintain constantly and don't use that much. I know they turn into a cesspool pretty quickly if you don't stay on top of maintenance and keeping chemicals in them and whatnot.
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Im like 95% sure you're probably right. Maybe just a 600$ inflatable one from amazon would suffice.
 
Dandai

Dandai

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BrutulTM said:
I have never had one, but I think a hot tub is one of those things that sounds nice, but after the first month it just becomes something you have to maintain constantly and don't use that much. I know they turn into a cesspool pretty quickly if you don't stay on top of maintenance and keeping chemicals in them and whatnot.
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In Florida it’s so bad too. I drained and refilled my above ground pool with well water and had to treat it with a metal flocculant that disallows using shock and chlorine for seven days. By day seven my entire liner was coated in a thin layer of slimey algae that raised the pH from 7.2 to 9 and has been a huge pain in the ass to get back under control.
 
Deathwing

Deathwing

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Dandai said:
Edit: just wanted to add that 40 years is about twice as long as I’d expect an uncovered deck to last so whatever you do now is just delaying the inevitable. Replacing decking is pretty approachable as a DIY project and will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in labor. I replaced my deck boards about a year ago having never done it before and it looks great with no issues.
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It was recently uncovered. I don't know how long the huge silver maple was covering it as we moved in 7 years ago. The wife and I have been discussing replacing it. That stamped concrete discussed a few pages back looks quite appealing from a maintenance standpoint. Either way, it's raised right now we'd like to change that at the very least. And we'd also consider a PVC deck. My dad got one at his place and has loved it.
 
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Deathwing

Deathwing

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Oh, regarding removing rotted wood: I was going to buy some augur bits for my cordless power drill. Is this the correct thing to do or should I get a dedicated dremmel tool?
 
Dandai

Dandai

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Deathwing said:
Oh, regarding removing rotted wood: I was going to buy some augur bits for my cordless power drill. Is this the correct thing to do or should I get a dedicated dremmel tool?
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A screwdriver or even a butter knife is fine. If it’s rotted to the point that it should be removed it will scoop out that easily.
 
Brahma

Brahma

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Dandai said:
The spot he’s talking about isn’t growing because it’s under a tree next to a fence and never gets direct sunlight.
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Have a question man. The grass is laying down in spots, and pretty much stays there. Did I fuck something up? Something I can do?
 
Khane

Khane

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Brahma said:
Have a question man. The grass is laying down in spots, and pretty much stays there. Did I fuck something up? Something I can do?
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You get a megaphone and you tell that lazy grass to get back to work! Green Thumb is just the landscaper version of Pimp Hand. Gotta keep it strong!
 
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Dandai

Dandai

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Brahma said:
Shaded. The grass grew fine. 1st cut was fine. This time I noticed that it's laying flat, in a swirly pattern.
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Try taking a rake and lifting it back up then mowing a little lower in that area. From personal experience the prospects of that grass surviving the summer are not good. Make sure you don’t water it in the evening as any moisture on that grass over night will guarantee a fungal infection that can spread to the rest of the lawn.
 
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chaos

chaos

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Deathwing said:
It was recently uncovered. I don't know how long the huge silver maple was covering it as we moved in 7 years ago. The wife and I have been discussing replacing it. That stamped concrete discussed a few pages back looks quite appealing from a maintenance standpoint. Either way, it's raised right now we'd like to change that at the very least. And we'd also consider a PVC deck. My dad got one at his place and has loved it.
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Interested to know which way you end up going, since I am dealing with a similar situation. My plan is to replace the deck as a DIY project probably spring of next year but my deck is a little more complicated, has two sets of stairs and an upper and lower level. At first I was just looking to replace the steps and the boards but I don't know if I can get away with that, the deck is pretty bad. But I am repainting my porch this week and it's the same deal. Scrape off old paint, scrape out rotted wood, sand, prime, fill with wood filler, sand, prime, paint. I don't know why but every site I read has made a point of saying to prime before applying wood filler, and to be super generous with the wood filler, really smash it in the cracks.
 
Deathwing

Deathwing

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chaos said:
Interested to know which way you end up going, since I am dealing with a similar situation. My plan is to replace the deck as a DIY project probably spring of next year but my deck is a little more complicated, has two sets of stairs and an upper and lower level. At first I was just looking to replace the steps and the boards but I don't know if I can get away with that, the deck is pretty bad. But I am repainting my porch this week and it's the same deal. Scrape off old paint, scrape out rotted wood, sand, prime, fill with wood filler, sand, prime, paint. I don't know why but every site I read has made a point of saying to prime before applying wood filler, and to be super generous with the wood filler, really smash it in the cracks.
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Don't hold your breath. I really agonize over home improvement decisions. The deck falling apart will likely force my hand before deciding to replace it. I sometimes wonder if I should just go back to renting.
 
BrutulTM

BrutulTM

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chaos said:
At first I was just looking to replace the steps and the boards but I don't know if I can get away with that, the deck is pretty bad.
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If you're going to tear the whole thing off the house I would definitely replace everything while you're at it. You don't want to go to all that effort and expense just to have to do it all over again in 5 years.
 
chaos

chaos

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BrutulTM said:
If you're going to tear the whole thing off the house I would definitely replace everything while you're at it. You don't want to go to all that effort and expense just to have to do it all over again in 5 years.
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Yeah, this is my thought. But I also worry that it may be beyond my skill level, which is why for now i'm just trying to stop any further damage and just research. Replacing deck boards I can do, np, Even replacing the privacy panels, step boards, and railings I think I can do easily. I'm not convinced I will be able to properly do the risers, footings, and joists though. So I may end up paying someone to do it, but I'd rather just do it myself.
 
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