Deck Resurfacing in Everett, WA

Deck resurfacing means taking off the worn boards and railings and putting new ones on a frame that is still in good shape. It suits Everett homeowners whose decking is cracked, splintered or soft but whose joists, beams and posts pass inspection. It is one way of handling [deck replacement](/services/deck-replacement/), with less demolition than a full rebuild.

What deck resurfacing replaces and what it keeps

Resurfacing replaces everything you walk on and hold onto: the deck boards, the fascia, the stair treads and the railings. The structure underneath stays. That means the joists, beams, posts, footings and the ledger that ties the deck to the house.

It is the right job when the surface looks tired but the frame is solid. These are the usual reasons homeowners ask for it:

• Boards that are cupped, split, splintered or soft around the screw holes.
• Railings that wobble, or that no longer meet the height and spacing an inspector would expect today.
• Stair treads worn smooth or loose on their stringers.
• A finish that has failed so many times that another round of sanding and staining will not hold.

How to tell whether your existing deck frame can carry new decking

Resurfacing only makes sense if the frame is worth keeping. New boards on rotten joists hide the problem for a season or two, then fail.

Joists and beams

We probe the tops of the joists with an awl or screwdriver, especially where old boards sat tight against them. Soft wood that crumbles, or a probe that sinks in easily, means rot. Surface checking and grey weathering are normal and do not fail a joist. Sagging between posts points to undersized or overloaded members, which is a framing repair, not a surface job.

Ledger board and posts

The ledger is the plank bolted to the house, and it is where hidden damage collects. Water runs behind it when flashing is missing or has failed. We look for staining on the siding above it, soft wood around the bolt heads and gaps between the ledger and the house. Posts get the same check at the base, where wood meets the footing. A post that is soft near the bottom needs repair before anything goes on top.

Fasteners, hangers and joist tape

Rusted joist hangers, corroded carriage bolts and nails that have backed out all weaken a frame. We replace old hardware with fasteners rated for treated lumber. We also put self-adhesive joist tape along the top edge of each joist. It keeps water from sitting in the gap between board and joist, which is where rot starts.

Choosing new decking: pressure-treated, cedar, composite or PVC

The material decides how much upkeep the deck needs and how the boards are fastened. It also affects the frame, because some boards need joists spaced closer together than others.

Pressure-treated lumber

The most familiar choice and the one most older decks were built with. It takes stain and sealer well but needs regular upkeep. Boards often arrive wet and shrink as they dry, so they are laid with a small gap and fastened with exterior screws, not nails.

Cedar

Naturally rot-resistant and usually straight, with a warm colour that fades to silver-grey without a finish. It is softer than treated lumber, so it dents more easily under furniture and grill legs.

Composite decking

Composite boards are made from wood fibre and plastic. They need no staining, resist rot and splinter less than wood. They expand and contract with temperature, so they must be gapped and fastened the way the manufacturer specifies. Some products need joists closer together than a wood deck would, and we check your frame against the board you pick.

PVC decking

PVC boards are all plastic. They do not absorb water and do not feed moss the way wood does, which suits a deck that stays damp. They flex more across wide spans, so joist spacing matters here too.

Replacing deck railings, posts and balusters

Railings fail more often than decking. The posts are often screwed to the outside of the frame, the fasteners loosen over the years and the wood around them rots. In a resurface we replace the railing system as a whole rather than patching one rail.

A solid railing post is through-bolted to the framing, with blocking behind it so the load goes into the structure and not just the deck board. Balusters need to be spaced so a child cannot pass between them, and the top rail has to meet the height your building department requires. Those rules vary by jurisdiction, so we check the requirements for your address before work starts. Stair treads, stringers and handrails get the same attention.

How a deck resurfacing job goes, step by step

The order matters, because the frame is only open to inspection once the old surface is off.

• Remove the old boards, fascia, stair treads and railings, leaving the frame in place.
• Clean and inspect the exposed framing. Replace or reinforce any joist, beam or post that fails the probe test.
• Replace worn hangers and bolts, then apply joist tape to the top of every joist.
• Lay the new boards, starting at the house wall, with gaps set for the material and for drainage.
• Install the fascia and stairs, then the posts, rails and balusters.
• Seal the boards if they are wood, then clear away the old material.

Resurfacing a deck in Everett's wet climate

Everett gets 35.71 inches of rain a year, mostly from October to March, and the city sits at the north end of the Puget Sound Convergence Zone, which can bring heavier rain and stronger winds than the rest of the region. Decks here stay damp for months. That is why moss and algae build up between boards and why the tops of joists tend to rot first. Dry summers are the better window for the work, since wood and sealer can cure.

Much of Everett sits on the Port Gardner Peninsula, where the soil is generally loamy with gravelly sand left by glacial outwash. That kind of ground drains reasonably well, but the base of a post still rots wherever wood stays wet. Many decks here are attached to houses that are decades old, so ledger flashing deserves a close look on every job.

When resurfacing is the wrong choice

If joists, beams or footings are rotted through, or the deck is too small, too low or badly laid out, resurfacing puts new materials on a weak base. Then the choice is between repairing the frame and full deck removal followed by a rebuild. A few bad joists can often be reinforced and the rest kept. Widespread rot cannot.

[Everett Deck Repair](/) can inspect the frame and tell you which path fits your deck.