"Honestly, regular visual checks are good, but physically moving things around periodically—furniture, rugs, planters—is essential."
Couldn't agree more with this. Learned it the hard way myself when I finally moved a big planter that had been sitting on my deck for ages. Thought everything was fine until I found a nasty surprise underneath—wood rot and a family of slugs having a party. Not exactly the guests I had in mind for my backyard hangouts...
Since then, I've gotten into the habit of doing a quick shuffle of furniture and pots every few months, especially after heavy rains. But honestly, I still sometimes forget or get lazy about it. Curious if anyone else has found any other sneaky spots or unexpected issues on their decks?
Had a similar issue with an outdoor rug—looked totally fine on top, but underneath was damp and moldy. Now I roll it up every couple months to air things out. Wonder if rugs cause more trouble than they're worth sometimes...
"Wonder if rugs cause more trouble than they're worth sometimes..."
I get your point, but honestly, I think it depends more on the deck material and drainage. Had a similar mold issue once, but after switching to composite decking with better spacing between boards, haven't had a problem since—even with a rug left out all year. If your deck holds moisture easily, then yeah, rugs can make things worse. But if drainage is decent, they're pretty low-maintenance and worth keeping around for comfort. Maybe check if your deck boards have enough gaps or if there's debris blocking airflow underneath? Could save you from rolling up rugs every few months...
"Maybe check if your deck boards have enough gaps or if there's debris blocking airflow underneath?"
Good point about airflow. Honestly, I think rugs are usually fine if the deck itself is built right. A lot of people overlook the spacing between boards or the slope angle when building or renovating decks. Had a rental property once where the deck was practically flat—water pooled like crazy under the rug, and mold was inevitable. Ended up redoing it with proper slope and spacing, and the rug stopped being an issue altogether.
I usually do a quick check every spring—nothing fancy, just eyeballing for loose boards, rusty screws, or signs of rot. Takes maybe 10 minutes tops. If you catch stuff early, it's usually an easy fix. But yeah, rugs aren't the villain here...it's usually poor drainage or neglected maintenance that causes headaches.
I learned the hard way to check mine more often than once a year. Had an old deck at our historic place that looked fine at a glance, but one summer afternoon my foot went straight through a board—turns out rot had set in underneath where I couldn't see it. Now I do a quick walk-around every couple months, tapping boards with a screwdriver handle and checking underneath for moisture buildup. Takes maybe 5-10 mins, but it's worth avoiding another nasty surprise...
