Deck Repair in Cobourg, ON

What Lake Winters Do to Cobourg Decks

Cobourg sits right on Lake Ontario, and decks near the waterfront deal with more damp air than ones further inland. Wood that stays wet longer rots faster. The damage usually starts where water collects: around post bases, at the ledger board against the house and along the tops of joists under the deck boards. From above, everything can look fine. We pull a board or two if we need to so we can check the framing before quoting.

In the backyards of the mid-century neighbourhoods south of King Street, decks have often been extended or re-boarded over the years by different owners. That's where we find uneven joist spacing, railings held on with nails instead of bolts and stairs added later without proper footings. Deck railing repair on these is often a matter of through-bolting new posts to the frame. New railings run about $20 to $50 per linear foot.

If you're in one of the newer developments north along Division Street and still have the deck the house came with, the framing is often still sound. The boards are another story once a few freeze-thaw cycles have checked, cupped and lifted them. Deck board replacement and resetting the fasteners can add years. Single boards run about $15 to $30 each, and a full rebuild of a 10x12 pressure-treated deck typically costs $3,000 to $7,000.

Pedro handles deck repairs, board replacement, railings and new deck builds. For how he approaches deck repair in general, see our deck repair & building page.