Rotted Deck Rebuild in Mercer Island, WA

This Mercer Island deck runs the length of the house past a row of sliding doors, and by 2022 its posts, joists and rail boards had rotted through. We opened it up, replaced the damaged structure and finished it with new gray-brown deck boards and a stained wood railing with black metal infill. The first rot photos are from late September 2022 and the finished deck was photographed on October 17, 2022.

City: Mercer Island, WA
Service: Deck remodel
Scope: Rotted posts, joists, rim and rail boards replaced, new deck boards, new railing
Year: 2022
Materials: Gray-brown deck boards, stained wood railing frame with black metal infill
Contractor: Volcano Builders, WA license VOLCABI792C6
Approximate investment: About $35,000

Every project is priced in writing, line by line, for your home.

Book a Consultation Call (206) 666-0412

Long rebuilt deck with gray-brown boards running past sliding doors, with a wood and metal railing — The finished Mercer Island deck, running the length of the house

Before

The rot we found

Old deck posts split and rotted below a window, with the rail boards pulled away — Before: posts under the Mercer Island deck rotted and split below a window

Rotted wood post beside a lower level door and window under the old deck — Before: a rotted post standing beside the lower level door

Old deck with the boards lifted, showing rotted and broken joists below — During: with the boards up, the joists below were rotted and broken

Painted beam end on the old deck with its wood rotted and crumbling — Before: a painted beam end crumbling from rot

Broken rail board on the old deck with rotted wood showing through white paint — Before: a rail board broken open by rot under its paint

After

The rebuilt deck

Wide rebuilt deck with new boards and a railing facing tall evergreen trees — The wide end of the deck, looking out to the trees

Corner of the new deck railing with a stained wood frame and black metal infill — The new railing: stained wood frame with black metal infill

End of the rebuilt deck where the railing meets the house wall — Where the railing returns to the house wall

New deck boards running to a railing corner beside the house siding — New boards run straight to the railing corner

Rebuilt deck beside a row of windows with the railing running to the far end — Along the windows, the new boards and railing run end to end

Know someone planning a project like this? Refer them: you get $500 cash or $1,500 credit, they get $500 off.

Video

This deck on video

The project

How this Mercer Island deck was rebuilt

The goal

The deck is the main outdoor space for this house, a long walkway outside a row of sliding doors that widens toward the trees. The job was to make it safe and sound again while keeping that same long layout along the house.

The challenge

From above the deck looked tired, but the September 2022 photos show the real problem underneath. Posts beside the lower level windows and door had rotted and split, a painted beam end was crumbling, rail boards had broken open, and once the deck boards came up the joists below were rotted and broken too. Staining or new boards alone would not have fixed any of that.

The solution

We took the deck down to its structure and replaced the rotted wood: the posts, the joists and the rim and rail boards that the photos show had failed. New deck boards went down over the sound frame along the full length of the house. A new railing went on every open edge, with a stained wood frame and top rail and black metal infill between the posts, so the view to the trees stays open.

The result

The new boards run in long straight lines past the sliding doors, the railing is solid from end to end, and the dark metal infill almost disappears against the trees. The house kept its long deck, now on a frame that has been rebuilt where it had rotted.

Keep reading

Deck Builder Across the Greater Seattle AreaOur deck service: repairs, rebuilds, stairs and railings.
Mercer Island Home Remodel Services and ContractorsWhat we build for homeowners on Mercer Island.
Remodeling Pricing Guide for the Greater Seattle AreaWhat drives the price of a remodeling project.
Red-Brown Deck Stain Refinish in Bellevue, WAA sound deck cleaned and stained instead of rebuilt.
New Deck Stairs and Entry Landings in Seattle, WATwo landings and their stairs with white railings.

Questions

Questions about this project

How do you know whether a deck needs a rebuild or just new boards?

We open it up and look at the structure. On this Mercer Island deck the posts, joists, beam ends and rail boards had rotted, which new boards alone cannot fix, so the damaged frame was replaced first.

How much did this project cost?

About $35,000. Every project is priced in writing, line by line, for your home.

How do I get a price for rebuilding my deck?

Book a consultation. We check the posts, joists and railing, tell you what has to be replaced and send a written, itemized price before work starts. For what moves the price, read Remodeling Pricing Guide for the Greater Seattle Area.

Next steps

Before you book

Remodeling Reviews in Seattle and Bellevue, WAWhat homeowners say about working with us, in their own words.
Home Renovation Financing in SeattleHow remodeling financing works, and the application.
Remodeling Warranty in Seattle and Bellevue, WAOur 2-year workmanship warranty and how to make a claim.
Referral Program: You Get $500 Cash or $1,500 Credit, They Get $500 OffRefer a friend who is planning a remodel and choose your reward.

Volcano Builders team member holding a phone showing the Google Business listing, Built Without Compromise

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