Yeah, seasonal checks are good advice, but honestly, I tend to eyeball it a bit more casually—usually when I'm out there rearranging furniture or plants. One time, though, I had a client whose deck looked picture-perfect until we moved a heavy planter and found some serious rot hiding underneath. Now I always remind folks to peek under anything that's stationary for too long... you'd be surprised what sneaks up on you.
"you'd be surprised what sneaks up on you."
Haha, tell me about it... Last summer, I finally decided to move the grill after like two years (yeah, lazy, I know), and found a whole mini ecosystem thriving underneath. Moss, mushrooms, bugs having a party—basically a nature documentary unfolding right under my nose. Lesson learned: eyeballing is fine, but sometimes you've gotta actually move stuff around and take a proper look. Better safe than sorry, right?
Haha, relatable! I once moved a client's outdoor rug to measure for new furniture and found a whole colony of ants had set up shop underneath.
—exactly my thoughts... decks definitely hide surprises."basically a nature documentary unfolding right under my nose"
Haha, ants really do love sneaking into those hidden spots, don't they? Ever find anything else unexpected under there, like mold or rot? Decks can be tricky—sometimes the issues aren't obvious until you're right up close. I've had clients surprised by soft spots or loose boards they never noticed before. Makes me wonder how often most folks actually do a thorough check... probably not as often as we'd like to think.
Honestly, I try to do a quick check every spring and fall—just takes a few minutes. Look for warped boards, soft spots, or rusty nails. If something feels off, poke around gently with a screwdriver... better safe than sorry, right?
