Arlington Deck Repair: What You Need to Know

Without a doubt, spending time on your deck is one of the best ways to enjoy the summer months. Perhaps you like to unwind after work on the deck with a cold drink, entertain guests and barbecue on the weekend, or play with your children while enjoying the sunshine. Your deck should be a place of relaxation and peace—but when you need Arlington deck repairs, the area could become a huge source of stress.

It's a natural part of your outdoor living space's lifespan that it will wear down over time. The structure weathers many elements, such as the wind, rain, sunshine, humidity and more. Not to mention, normal wear and tear will also impact the structure's longevity. While you can mitigate a lot of wear by taking good care of your deck, from time to time you will need an Arlington deck repair service.

When your deck has seen better days and requires repairs to get it looking and functioning its best, you can rely on our Arlington handyman team. Each of our service technicians are highly trained and have years of experience completing a wide range of home improvement projects—including Arlington deck repair and more.

To help keep your property in tip-top condition, the team at Mr. Handyman of Arlington, Mansfield and Grapevine put together this guide. Keep reading for Arlington deck repair tips, red flags to watch for, and to learn how our company can help.

Why Choose Mr. Handyman for Your Deck Repair Needs?

To keep your property looking great all year, it's essential that you stay on top of repairs and routine maintenance. Maintaining your deck helps keep it a fun and safe place for your family, friends and pets to be. When there are problems with the structure, this can lead to far more serious issues down the line—and even injury. Not to mention, an improved deck or porch in turn improves your curb appeal .

However, it can be difficult to stay on top of repair and maintenance tasks on your own. Which is why you should put your trust in our handyman team's skills. Many of our tradesmen are highly skilled carpenters, and we always focus on ensuring we have satisfied customers.

We're known throughout Texas for our dedication to quality service and customer satisfaction. It's important to us that you're able to enjoy your deck in comfort and safety. We not only provide a range of deck repairs in Arlington, but also offer deck installation services and can assist with a wide range of other services to keep your property looking its best all year round.

How to Prevent the Need for Arlington Deck Repairs

Like any other part of your home, routine maintenance is the best way to avoid costly deck repairs and/or replacements. By catching problems quickly, you prevent damage from worsening and causing further headaches down the road. This is especially important for your outdoor areas, as they are prone to more wear.

Regular Sealing

One of the most important steps you can take to maintain your deck is to refinish it every two to three years. Keep in mind that if your outdoor living area was in a bad storm, you may need to refinish it more frequently. Refinishing involves many steps that our handyman experts can take care of, including applying a clear, UV protecting sealant to keep water damage, bleaching and wear to a minimum. We will then follow the sealant with an appealing stain to ensure the structure looks great.

Benefits of Regular Sealing

• Prevent wood rot from growing

• Avoid sun damage from bleaching wooden structures

• Preserves your wood's natural beauty

• Adds an attractive sheen

• Protects the structure from moisture damage

Deck Cleaning

At least once a year–although twice is better—you should clean your deck thoroughly to get rid of dirt, debris and other buildup like lichen and moss. Cleaning is also a great opportunity to get rid of peeling paint and chipped stain, which can prepare the area for refinishing. Power washing is by far the best way to clean your deck.

Power washing has many benefits, including transforming your space from old and dingy to like-new. It can also prime the entire deck for painting or staining, and is much faster than scrubbing manually. However, homeowners who have never handled a power washer should leave this job to the professionals. These are very powerful machines, and it's all too easy to damage your property or injure yourself in the process due to improper use. Instead, let the pros at Mr. Handyman of Arlington, Mansfield and Grapevine handle it for you. We'll get your deck boards, planks, panels and posts looking good-as-new in no time. We can even power wash other exterior surfaces, such as siding and driveways.

Benefits of Power Washing:

• Prevent health issues from mold and mildew

• Prime surfaces for painting or staining

• Improve your property's curb appeal

• Prevent repairs by getting rid of debris and buildup

• Clean other areas, such as fences and siding

Routine Inspection & Maintenance

The best way to spot damage early enough that a disaster can be prevented is through vigilance. While it's good practice to always be on the lookout for problems, this isn't always realistic. Instead, set away time in the spring and the fall to walk through your Arlington property and check for issues. You could also use this time to get all your seasonal maintenance done, including gutter cleaning, pressure washing and fence maintenance. Some routine Arlington deck repairs that should be completed during this time include:

• Regularly move deck furniture and planters around

• Fix damaged stain and paint right away

• Deck cleaning, including sweeping and power washing

• Promptly replacing damaged, missing or rotted areas

Signs You Need Deck Repairs in Arlington, TX

While maintenance is essential for preventing damage, the reality is that accidents do happen. While you're walking through your property looking for issues, keep your eyes peeled for the following red flags. Some might be easy to spot, such as loose railings or rotten boards, but other types of damage might not be so obvious.

Pro Tip:

If you're hiring a professional Arlington handyman to take care of your deck repairs, you might as well have him or her tackle all the other issues that need to be fixed—like repairing broken gutters and replacing damaged fence posts.

Wood Rot

One of the biggest concerns for Arlington homeowners, wood rot impacts all types of wood, including treated wood. It tends to spread in moist areas that don't see a lot of sunlight, such as underneath steps and around footings. A kind of microscopic fungus, wood rot is a normal part of nature's decomposition process. It breaks down trees that have fallen on forest floors. However, wood rot doesn't know the difference between a fallen log and your deck, which is why it's important to check the structure regularly for signs of damage, so that you can make a prompt appointment for Arlington deck repairs.

Look for signs of:

• Splintering, crumbling wood

• Discolored patches in yellow or white

• Soft areas; if you can press a screwdriver into it, you have wood rot

Pro Tip:

Use a flashlight to look under hard-to-reach areas. Areas that don't receive a lot of sunlight tend to be where rot spores grow first, so it's important to check the underside of planks, beams and posts. Walk through your property at least twice a year with a flashlight and screwdriver to check for signs of rot.

Broken Boards

Usually, wear and tear, fluctuating temperatures, weather and wood rot cause decking in Arlington to deteriorate as the years go by. If your boards are broken, then they need to be repaired as soon as possible. Broken boards can quickly lead to injury—from minor injuries like slivers to something more serious like a foot going through a broken board. Staying on-top of Arlington deck repairs is essential to keep your outdoor living space safe for all who use it.

Pro Tip:

Boards that are split down the middle indicate they will break soon. Don't step on cracked boards, and ensure they are replaced promptly with help from the pros at Mr. Handyman.

Stains, scratches, dents and More

Regular use and wear and tear leads to staining and light damage, such as scratches and dents. These problems might seem like a mere cosmetic issue, but can cause more problems down the road. Specifically, dents and scratches can wreck your stain or paint, which in turn compromises your deck's seal. This increases the risk of water damage, rot and mold. Usually, sanding and re-sealing your outdoor living area is enough to get rid of scratches and dents. If the damage is severe, then the affected boards or planks should be replaced.

Most stains can be removed with soap and warm water, or sanded away if the damage is already done. Keep in mind that stains from sweet and sticky substances like soda or juice may also attract insects.

Wobbly Railings

Loose railings are a serious safety hazard. It only takes one person to lean against a wobbly railing and fall down. There are a couple of reasons why your outdoor structure might have wobbly railings. It could be that a screw or nail has come loose. This is a fairly easy fix. Alternatively, wood rot may be eating away at the lumber. In this case, compromised railings will need to be replaced right away.

Pro Tip:

The easiest way to tell if your railings are loose is to grab hold and give them a shake. If they move, they're loose and need to be repaired as soon as possible.

Loose Nails & Screws

Stepping on a loose screw or nail is very painful and can also lead to infections like Tetanus. Popping nails usually indicate that boards, posts and railings are loosening, which could lead to even more serious injuries. Popping nails can typically be hammered back down into the wood, but if the nails or screws look corroded and rusty, you might want to consider hiring our Arlington deck repair team to replace them completely.

Crumbling Concrete Footings

Concrete footings are what the rest of your deck stands on, so it's pretty important to keep them in good condition. They need to be replaced right away when they begin to crumble or deteriorate because of age, erosion and water damage. If the problem is neglected, then the entire structure could sink into the ground—resulting in potentially serious structural issues and serious injury.

Improper Drainage

If your property's grading is compromised due to erosion or landscaping that was not completed correctly, then you could wind up dealing with a range of issues. Improper drainage will impact your outdoor structure because the area around it will continue to erode. This will threaten the structural stability of the structure and increase its exposure to water damage—which in turn leads to issues such as wood rot. Improper drainage can also lead to issues with your masonry, requiring masonry repairs.

Make an Appointment for Arlington Deck Repairs Today!

Has it been more than three years since you refinished your deck? Or maybe you noticed the railing is loose? When you need Arlington deck repairs, trust the task to the experts at Mr. Handyman of Arlington, Mansfield and Grapevine. Each of our service professionals has years of experience helping customers throughout the Arlington area with their home improvement needs, including in the communities of Colleyville and Southlake. In addition to deck repairs, we can also provide porch services and help with many other home repairs during our visit.

To book an appointment with one of our highly skilled Arlington handyman team members today, we invite you to give us a call at 817-567-2433 . We look forward to hearing from you, and helping with your repair needs!