I used to think yearly checks were enough until I found carpenter ants nesting in a support beam. No obvious sagging or loose boards, just a tiny bit of sawdust tipped me off. Now I do a quick visual inspection each spring—takes maybe 15 minutes. Ledger boards and hidden insect damage can sneak up on you even if everything looks fine at first glance...
"Ledger boards and hidden insect damage can sneak up on you even if everything looks fine at first glance..."
Couldn't agree more with this. When I first bought my fixer-upper, I naively thought a quick glance every couple of years would suffice—until the day my foot went straight through a rotten board (thankfully only my pride was injured). Now I make it a habit to do a thorough check at least twice a year, once in spring and again before winter hits. It's amazing how quickly moisture and insects can team up to turn solid wood into something resembling stale bread.
A quick tip from my own misadventures: grab a screwdriver or something pointy and gently poke around suspect areas. Sometimes wood looks perfectly fine but crumbles under slight pressure. And trust me, it's better to find these surprises intentionally rather than accidentally mid-barbecue...
I usually recommend clients do a quick check every season—takes just a few minutes and saves headaches later. Totally agree about the screwdriver trick:
"Sometimes wood looks perfectly fine but crumbles under slight pressure."
Better safe than sorry...or embarrassed mid-party.
I try to do a quick check at least once or twice a year, usually spring and fall. Honestly though, sometimes life gets busy and I skip it...until I hear about someone's deck collapsing mid-BBQ. 😬 Learned the screwdriver trick the hard way myself—thought my deck was solid until one board practically turned to sawdust under pressure. Definitely cheaper to catch it early than deal with major repairs later on.
"Definitely cheaper to catch it early than deal with major repairs later on."
True, but honestly, twice a year might be overkill for most decks—unless yours sees heavy use or harsh weather. A solid thorough inspection once every year or two usually does the trick...and frees up some weekends.
