Homeowners look at decks and understand the importance and key of maintaining the outer appearance of their homes. And it isn’t just the appearance that matters, it’s also the space itself that will need to improve over time. So long as you keep your deck in a good condition, you can actually increase your home’s usable square footage. As a place that needs to endure the overtures of nature and age, decks will inevitably degrade over time.
Spoken in another article from before, we’ve talked about the increasing possibility that your deck will eventually require the extent of repairs, depending on the kinds of deterioration the material is facing. A repair on your deck will estimate in the range of $250 to $1500. Though there are homeowners that might need to replace broken boards or repair damaged railings, there are the minimalists. Homeowners that might only need to replace their deck’s missing nails. Then, there are homeowners with the need to repair difficult damages like termite damage.
If you’re looking at a very minor kind of damage, homeowners should expect only about the low cost of $48, and for this number, it really depends on what kind of material your deck is made of. There are cases where homeowners will spend about $150, sometimes they can expect about $250. There are cases when homeowners need to expect the worst and might have to spend about $10000.
Table of Contents
- Material Cost of Average Deck Repair
- Costs Based on Deck Repair By Type
- Cost Applied By Deck Repairs By Components
- Costs Into Deck Resurfacing
- Costs into Deck Refurbishments
- Deck Power Washing Costs
- Deck Repair By The Hour
- Deck Repair Involving Termite Damage
- Mold & Rot Repair Costs
- Costs Into Pest Control For Deck
- Costs For Removing Your Deck
- Costs For Sealing Your Deck
- Costs For Staining Your Deck
- Costs For Replacing Your Deck
- How To Hire a Deck Contractor Or Professional Through House Tipster
Material Cost of Average Deck Repair
The most common materials that homeowners use to build their decks are vinyl, metal, wood, fiberglass, and composite. Prices may seem similar to when you first built your deck, but in truth, repairing your deck will be very different from the costs of your original installation.
| Wood | $3-$80 |
| Vinyl | $7-$30 |
| Metal | $10-$60 |
| Fiberglass | $15-$50 |
The material that is most closely associated with the decks of homeowners, wood comes in many various grades, forms and choices. Repairing any of the material you have or want to replace with another wood material will range from $3 to $80 per square foot.
| Cedar | $3-$15 |
| Treated Lumber | $8-$20 |
| Redwood | $5-$30 |
| Composite | $12-$50 |
| Hardwood | $40-$80 |
Decks made of cedar are extremely aesthetic for homeowners for the short term, meaning it doesn’t take long for cedar decks to begin losing that rich color homeowners fall in love with. There’s a high-maintenance factor that comes with cedar so you’ll have to make sure you clean and reseal everything on a regular basis. Average range of costs will be about $3 to $7 per square foot to repair, but if you take an evaluation of your deck habitually like you’re supposed to, it’ll last for 15 to 20 years.
Homes that utilize treated lumber as a material, will be facing little to no maintenance. While there is less visual intrigue to treated lumber compared to cedar, there is less worry involved with how little moisture is retained against the outdoors. The range of costs to repair treated lumber will probably be about $8 to $20 per square foot.
Repairs that will involve redwood will most likely be about $5 to $30 per square foot. Grain involved with this material has a broad distinction and there are different variations of redwood as well. Easy to maintain, good to look at, offers different choices, redwood is a proper choice for proper homeowners and lasts about 15 to 30 years if you know how to properly care for the material.
A combination of different woods makes up composite wood and with the mixture of plastic. Individual deck boards will range about $12 to $22 per square foot. Some composite wood might actually be entirely constructed of just plastic or the plastic might be wrapped around the wood instead. Over time the pressure-treated lumber will help you with the cleaning and staining process and the costs will be applied to this range.
Hardwood usage for an initial deck repairs will range about $22 to $35 per square foot, but the repair cost will range about $40 to $80 and that is because this is a much denser material. It’s also costly because there is a fairly scarce supply of hardwood available in this day and age, making the material so much more expensive than it used to be.
For an inexpensive quality of hardwood, you can look at Ipe Hardwood as a replacement but the total estimate for this material for your deck repair will range about $10 to $20 per square foot. It’s span of durability will last you about 30 to 50 years so this is a great alternative to any damaged deck you’re dealing with.
Repair costs that will be the most affordable amongst the other materials on this list will be vinyl. When it comes to vinyl deck repair, the average cost will range between $7 and $30. This is a material that is very durable and doesn’t require as much maintenance. It’s a little more difficult than wood to repair because essentially, unlike the other materials, it isn’t made of different planks and instead, it’s basically one whole membrane. So if you need to replace or repair the material, it makes it that much more complicated to fix.
One way to repair your vinyl deck is by using the welding method. Rather than having to completely rip apart your material, you can use tools and equipment to weld over holes, cuts, or discolourations. The second way you can repair your vinyl decking is by finding a manufacturer that offers the exact same vinyl as your damaged decks and by using a knife to cut a small piece to patch the damaged area up. The last method is one that homeowners never want to hear. It involves reinstalling a whole new vinyl deck because there might not be any other way to repair the thing.
Metal decks that need repairs will cost homeowners an average range of $10 to $60 per square foot. Steel and aluminum are the most common materials that people use for their decks, when they’re opting for metal decks. The homeowners that choose metal for their deck installations know that whichever material they decide to purchase will include an engineered feature of corrugated steel. As the feature will sort become an addition to the integrity of your property’s structural design, metal deck repairs offer your home strength and resistance.
Your fiberglass deck that needs to be repaired will average into the estimate of $15 to $50 per square foot. With the durability to last about 15 to 30 years, fiberglass is a material that homeowners will usually think to opt out for. However, even though it is a very durable material, fiberglass will eventually need to be replaced or repaired. The process is somewhat similar to vinyl decking as it is a singular membrane.
Costs Based on Deck Repair By Type
The kinds of repairs will all be determined through the different kinds of issues you may encounter throughout the years that have passed. Some damages to note that homeowners most commonly report are mildew damages or termite damages. You should also understand the costs involved with the parts of your deck that may need to be replaced or repaired.
Cost Applied By Deck Repairs By Components
Installing a deck with any kind of material is made up of many different components. A deck is made up of floor board, stairs, railings, and joists.
Repairing deck boards can range in the estimates of costs between $10 to $35 per square foot. Reasons for repairing deck boards include scratches, stains, cracks, warping, and general wear and tear. Whether you’re repairing the deck board yourself or you’re hiring a professional for the job, you or your repair person will need a pry bar, screwdriver or drill to take out the rusty nails.
The stairs on your deck that need fixing will cost on average about $15 to $40 per step. The process of repairing steps requires sanding, patching, or refurbishing. To remove the old steps, you need to cut through the middle. By measuring the new treads, you can cut the new board and position or set it up in the empty space.
A deck’s railings will cost a bit more than the stairs, the average will range about $25 to $100 per linear foot. Cautious things to look out for is if your rails are bowing, warping or especially, if the railing is rotting. If you have metal railings, then your concern comes from rust or stability. In any case, the condition of your railing will keep anyone with trouble walking up those steps from falling or worse, getting injured.
The joists in your deck have an estimated cost ranging from $100 to $250 per joist. To keep the structure of a homeowner’s deck, they’ll need their joists to keep the deck frame from falling apart. The most common method of repair is to keep the fit of a sister joist on the joist that is about to collapse. By doing so, you’ll be ensuring the reinforcement of your near-broken area.
Costs Into Deck Resurfacing
The resurfacing process involves the replacing of any existing parts placed in your deck. It’s different to a restoration because resurfaces involve reinstalling a proponent that doesn’t seem as appealing or doesn’t match the rest of your deck. Another reason for resurfacing could be that your railing or stairs are completely disrupted. The average cost to this process will range about $15 to $50 per square foot.
Costs into Deck Refurbishments
Refurbishing your deck involves a renewal process. Rather than having to repair or remove your deck or its parts, refurbishing will involve sanding and staining the areas required. A renewal will range in about $150 to $1000. This also includes getting those old or missing nails and replacing them, or getting those pesky marks and dirt spots clean.
Deck Power Washing Costs
As mentioned above, the maintenance of your deck involves regularly cleaning the right places in these areas. Pressure washers are machines that do exactly as their name implies, they’re very thorough and deep cleans. The jets on these devices will give your decks the cleans that cannot be accomplished with just two hands. The average range for a good power wash on your deck will cost about $150 to $500.
Unless you wish to damage your decks further, you’re going to want to find the right kind of pressure washer that you can easily switch controls for. There are some models that will give you a rougher power than others, so when searching for a power washer, ask enough questions to know how powerful the streams of water will blast onto your deck.
Power washing eliminates all of the dirt, grime and stains that have acted as pestering annoyances on your deck. Another matter or headache in this case, to relieve in solving the extermination of mold or mildew patches.
Deck Repair By The Hour
If you decide to hire a professional to help you create the custom work you’ll probably require for the job, you’ll want to know the hourly rates. An average range to know about is $45 to $75 per hour, with the low end ranging from $30 to $35 at the hourly rate. The higher end of repair costs will cost you about $100 to $500 an hour.
Deck Repair Involving Termite Damage
Wood-eating insects will pester and infest your whole home if you do not get rid of them. To rid termites and repair any of the impairments that they left in their wake, you’ll have to spend about $500 to $10000. Repairs will be very inexpensive if you discover them early, but if they’re undetected for a long time, those costs will raise the roof of your expenses. In fact, if you want an inspection done, the costs will cost you between $50 to $300.
Mold & Rot Repair Costs
The extent of your mold and rot will weigh in on the cost range of repairs and the average will probably range about $200 to $500, which includes the parts and the labor involved with repairing these issues. Mold and rot damage will always come to bite you in the rear at the end. The dampness of all that mold and rot will cause your deck to not only create a worse condition for the home but also give an ugliness to your home’s appeal.
Costs Into Pest Control For Deck
Other than the termites, there are other pests homeowners should be aware of. You can be facing a rat infestation or a mosquito infestation and to get rid of them will have more costs to concern yourself with.
If your deck is home to a bunch of small, furry critters lurking around, exterminating them and protecting your property will cost you a range of $200 to $1000. Exterminators will use either humane traps or lethal ones according to your preferences and the professional you decide to hire. Rats will continue to spread throughout your deck if not properly taken care of. Repellents are usually put in place from the experts you hire, and since these pests may pose health and safety risks, you’ll want to get rid of them as soon as you find any.
An invasion of flying pests will require mosquito control specialists and will give you the burden of spending about $350 to $1500. All of this will only be calculated through a treatment scale and the frequency that is involved with the process.
Costs For Removing Your Deck
Nobody ever wants to get rid of anything that brings an addition to the beauty of your home, but to completely repair or replace your deck, you’ll have to know the costs into the old deck’s demolition. The average cost of deck removal will range between $5 and $15 per square foot.
There are costs involved with uneven ground-floor decks and these demolitions in partial proponents will have an average cost ranging about $30 per foot. These elevations cost more because there’s more materials that need to be accounted for. Other than the fact that uneven levels will affect the cost negatively, the reconstruction of your deck with an above ground level will range between $45 to $50 per square foot.
Costs For Sealing Your Deck
For the right kind of preservation to be applied to your deck, you’ll need a layer of sealant to act as a barrier against moisture. Depending on the kind of material you used to build for your surface, you’ll want to know if it is appropriate to use the sealing process. With wood, you’ll know that preservation is a mandatory requirement. The estimates will range from $500 to $1000. With the per-square-footage method, sealing in your deck will range from $0.50 to $7 per square foot.
Costs For Staining Your Deck
An altering of the color of your deck will involve using a sealant that stains a new color. The range of this process will estimate into $550 and that cost can go all the way up to $850, if you’re looking to stain the entirety of your deck. Instead of just sealing your deck with a protective layer against moisture, you can find the specific material that gives the grain on your wood a whole different color. With the per-square-footage method, staining your deck will cost you about $1 to $5 per square foot.
Costs For Replacing Your Deck
If there are parts of your deck that are completely disfigured and cannot just be repaired, you may need to replace those pieces. The costs into completely replacing these materials will be needed if this may be the case.
Deck Boards
There are some damages that are so extensive that trying to fix them will seem counterintuitive. In these cases that apply to your deck boards will range your expenses from $10 to $40 per square foot. The boards will also charge about $200 to $500 for the disposal of your old deck boards.
Deck Stairs
When you need the replacements of your deck stairs, you’ll need to pay your replacement specialist about $20 to $50 for each step. But for replacing your stairs with stringers, you might need to pay for a higher range. Stringers are inclined structures that support your staircase treads and risers.
Say, you were only replacing your treads and risers, the expenses will be less costly. This is also something applied to materials as well. So, if you need to replace your stairs with metal materials then there will be more costs to pay for. In normal instances, if you’re unsure that your deck stairs have stringers then ask yourself whether you installed your staircase with pre-made stairs or whether you installed them all from scratch and requested them from your installer.
Deck Railing
For the replacements of your rails will range from $50 to $200 per linear foot. Depending on the kind of railings you might have and the kind you want to replace them with, the costs will range between these numbers. Since the railings you might have or the ones you’re looking for can be custom-made, the patterns or styles that are applied will have the costs rearranged once you have a better idea of the design you desire.
Deck Joists
As mentioned before, deck joists are what keeps your deck in a structured and solid state. So if they get too weak or too damaged, to the extent that they cannot be repaired, the replacements will cost you around $150 to $350 per joist.
Deck Posts
Each of the posts you’ll need to replace will cost you the range of $200 to $400. And this cost range will all be determined by the kinds of materials you want, the methods that are used to install them, and the amount of replacements that are provided.
Deck Footings
The arrangements of replacing your deck’s footing will estimate from $300 to $400 for each footing and for whichever material you prefer, the price will adjust accordingly. Footing matters in the case of shifts in soil and grounding so if you’re planning to extend the footing and reconfigure the position according to the level, then the replacement costs will change along with the alterations.
How To Hire a Deck Contractor Or Professional Through House Tipster
All that research you found on the information and costs into repairing or removing your decks, consider the possibility of hiring the professional that is specialized in deck contracting. As stated previously, if you’re wishing to avoid the long, tedious hours you’ll need to spend on applying for a permit or all the work that comes along with a DIY, think about the deck contractors located near you! Check out House Tipster, and find the perfect pro for your home repair needs. How much does it cost to build a deck or porch? Find out from professionals in your area.
Featured Image by Headway on Unsplash
