Is it time?
Some signs are obvious: boards that flex or feel spongy, a surface that's green and slippery all winter, screws popping up, rot at the board ends. Others are hidden. The frame might have been built straight onto soil, or joists might be sitting in water. We lift a board or two at the visit to see what's really going on.
New boards or a new deck
If the joists are sound, level and at the right spacing, putting new boards on the old frame is often the best value. Composite needs closer joists than timber, so sometimes we add extra joists between the old ones before re-boarding.
If the frame is soft, built on the soil, too close to the house's damp-proof course or simply the wrong shape for how you want to use the garden, we take it all out and start again. That's also the moment to fix the things that annoyed you about the old deck: steps that were too steep, a deck too small for a table, or a level that made the back door awkward.
What we take care of
We lift the old boards and frame, clear it away, check the ground and sort out drainage before building the new deck. If there's an old patio or gravel underneath, we'll tell you whether it can stay. You'll get the new deck finished with fascias, steps and any guarding you need.
Swapping timber for composite
Most of the replacement decks we build in Middlesbrough go from softwood to composite. The usual reason is simple: people are tired of cleaning and treating timber every year and want a deck they can just use.
Your questions
Can you replace just the boards and keep the frame?
Yes, if the frame is sound. We check every joist we can see, add any that are needed for the new boards and replace anything soft.
Do you take the old deck away?
Yes. Removing and disposing of the old deck is included in the quote, so there's nothing left for you to deal with.