Repair or replace?
Plenty of Palmerston North homes have a deck that has done 20 or 30 years. The question is whether it needs some attention or a full replacement. The answer almost always comes down to the frame underneath, not the boards on top.
Straight up: Rowdy Builders builds new decks, including full replacements of old ones. We do not do repairs or re-boarding on old frames. For small repairs, like a few boards or a loose step, a local handyman or carpenter is the better call.
Signs your deck needs replacing
- Deck boards rotting right through, not just weathered on top
- Soft or spongy spots when you walk on it, or boards that flex a lot between joists
- Rot you can push a screwdriver into in the joists, bearers or piles, not just the boards
- Piles that have moved, sunk or rotted at ground level, so the deck is out of level or wobbles
- Rusted-out fixings and staining around every screw
- A balustrade that moves when you lean on it, or stairs that are loose
- Water getting into the house where the deck joins it
If it is only the surface of the boards that is worn, a good clean and oil may be all it needs. See the deck care guide. If the frame is going, replacing the boards alone is wasted money.
How long does a deck last?
A well-built deck frame in H4 and H3.2 treated timber should last decades. Boards vary: treated pine boards often last 10 to 20 years with maintenance, kwila 25 years or more, and good composite boards carry 20 to 25 year warranties. Decks that were under-built, poorly ventilated or never maintained fail much sooner.
How much does it cost to replace a deck?
Deck replacement cost is the cost of a new deck plus removing the old one. Removal is included in our quoted price.
Deck repair cost vs deck rebuild cost
Small repairs, like replacing a few boards or a step, are cheap compared with a rebuild, but only worth doing if the frame is sound. Once the frame needs work, a full deck rebuild is usually the better long-term spend.
Replace wood deck with composite: cost
Replacing deck boards with composite on an old timber deck usually means a new frame too, because composite needs closer joist spacing than most old timber decks were built with. Budget for a full composite deck plus removal. See composite decking and the deck cost guide.