Deck Repair & Replacement in Tempe, AZ

Deck repair and replacement decisions start underneath the deck, not on top. A deck with cracked, gray boards may have a perfectly good frame that can take new decking, while a deck that looks fine can have a loose ledger or failing posts. We inspect the structure before we price anything, and we explain what we found in plain terms.

Common problems on Tempe decks

• Sun-damaged boards: checking, splitting, cupping and raised grain from years of UV and dry heat.
• Popped fasteners: nails and screws that work loose as boards expand on hot days and shrink at night.
• Loose railings: posts that wobble after years of leaning and monsoon wind.
• Ledger trouble: an attachment to the house that was never flashed, or was nailed instead of bolted.
• Footing and post issues: posts set directly in soil, or soil washed out by monsoon runoff.
• Insect damage: wood close to the soil is the most exposed, so low framing gets a careful look.

Repair, resurface or replace

If the frame is sound, replacing damaged boards or resurfacing the whole deck with new composite or wood can give you a new-looking deck for less than a rebuild. Angi suggests replacement when you see large holes, split boards across the deck, extensive rot or termite damage, a deck that sways, or repair bills that keep coming. When the joists or posts are failing, putting new boards on an old frame only hides the problem, and we will say so.

Safety items we look at

We check that the ledger is bolted and flashed, that posts bear on footings, that joist hangers and beam connections are present and not rusted through, that railings resist a firm push, and that stairs are solid with even risers. These are the parts that matter most for safety, and older decks often were built before current hardware was common.

Permits for repair work

Replacing a few boards usually does not need a permit, but rebuilding the structure often does. Arizona's handyman exemption under A.R.S. 32-1121 does not apply to any job that requires a local building permit, and it is limited to jobs under $1,000 in total. We confirm with the City of Tempe when a repair crosses into permit territory.

Moving from wood to composite

Many owners use a repair as the time to switch to composite. Composite often needs closer joist spacing than old wood decking, so we check the existing frame against the manufacturer's span rules before recommending new composite boards on it.