Rotten Joists and Soft Boards Got a Full Deck Rebuild

A deck that feels soft underfoot is more than an annoyance - it's a structural problem. Rotted boards are one thing, but when the joists underneath start to fail, you're dealing with a foundation issue. That's exactly what we found here. The surface looked rough, but once we stripped everything back, it was clear the whole thing needed to come out.

We pulled the old decking and got down to bare framing. Twenty-seven joists replaced - all pressure-treated, properly spaced, and secured correctly to the house. That last part matters more than most people realize. A deck that isn't properly fastened to the ledger board is a liability, no matter how good the surface looks on top.

With the new framing in place, we laid fresh pressure-treated decking across the entire surface. The wide-open platform connects to a covered gazebo section with string lights, a built-in stone fire pit at the center, and black metal railing running the perimeter. Wide entry steps with matching railings on both sides pull everything together. It's a big, functional outdoor space - and now it's actually built to handle it.

The before-and-after here is pretty telling. Where there was a stripped-down framing skeleton, there's now a solid, clean deck ready for years of use. Pressure-treated lumber handles moisture, temperature swings, and heavy foot traffic far better than what was there before. It's not a cosmetic upgrade - it's a full structural rebuild done right.

Soft spots and flex in your deck boards aren't something to wait on. What starts as a surface issue usually means something worse is going on underneath. If your deck is giving you any of those signs, it's worth having someone take a look before it becomes a bigger problem.