Keep Wood Away From Soil - Deck Building
I can't tell you how many decks I have seen constructed
by deck building professionals that just don't make much sense to me.
I've seen contractors, homeowners and other so-called professionals make
the same mistakes year after year and it doesn't seem like it's ever
going to stop.
The fundamentals of deck building should start with the basics in
construction. If you don't understand basic home construction, termite
damage, water damage and how wood actually rots, I would suggest that
you read a couple of articles on these topics and start gathering some
valuable information to save you money in the future.
Keep the wood away from soil. I'm going to say it again, because most
people learn when something is repeated over and over again, until they
have it drilled into their head that they need to remember this, because
it's very important. Keep the wood away from the soil, keep the wood
away from dirt, debris, leaves, snow and especially water.
In other words, in case you haven't figured it out by now if you're wood
deck supports or framing members are touching the ground in any way and
this ground becomes wet or stays wet for long periods of time, you're
going to find the wood rotting or attracting termites and you soon find
yourself making the necessary repairs
Deck repairs could be costly and expensive. It doesn't make much sense
to repair new building materials, because the deck was poorly
constructed. If you have any sections or individual supporting
structural members of your deck, touching the ground, I would suggest
that you pour some concrete footings underneath the supporting posts or
walls, to keep the wood supporting posts or walls at least 6 inches from
the soil.
If your deck is already built, you might just have to bite the bullet
and suffer, especially if these areas are hard to get to. If you do have
access and can make the necessary repairs, I would suggest that you do
so.