Wow, where do I start with this one? A new client via Facebook asked me to take a look at his deck in the heart of St Leonards with a view to replacing some boards.
The first surprise was that the deck was accessible only via the first floor bathroom, but I could picture that it would actually be a very nice spot to relax on a Summer's evening. It was approximately 5mx4m, laid with scaffold boards, perhaps too tightly packed to allow rain to drain in between timbers and consequently several had rotted, some leaving gaping holes.
Let's just say that I severely underestimated how long this job would take. I began by jet washing the whole area and calculated which timbers I would replace either completely or partly. This is where the fun began. The timbers wouldn't lift with its screws firmly rusted in place. Over the next few days I developed several methods to combat the timbers involving; a gorilla lifting bar, an electric jigsaw, a floorboard saw, a drill with a hole-cutting bit, an impact driver, and, it turns out invaluably, my dad's old woodworking brace.
Some timbers were replaced with a cleat supporting the subframe. At times I wondered what I had let myself in for as the timbers and rusty screws refused to budge. But there was a turning point and once I'd passed that the job proved not only a wonderful learning experience but proved very enjoyable. The autumn weather held out well and I stuck at my task with my trusty DAB radio tuned to radio 4 or 4 Extra.
All boards old and new were treated with two coats of Cuprinol Wood Preserver & two of Ronseal water-based decking oil.
The end result is a little 'chessboard' at the moment, but the new boards will soon weather in. Plus, this deck will need some care and attention every so often as some of the old boards were boarderline and will eventually need replacing too. But it's in good shape for my client and his family to enjoy next Summer.
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