Do-it-yourself deck repairs for weather worn wood decks

If your existing wood deck is looking a bit weather worn, covering the deck with HandyDeck decking tiles can be a much more cost effective and simpler solution than a total rebuild or resurfacing with new wood planks.

Provided the deck is structurally sound and doesn't have an uneven surface due to warped planks, you can lay HandyDeck decking tiles directly over the top of the existing deck for a fuss free, cost effective solution.

Naturally if any of the old timber is showing some decay or is in an otherwise unsafe condition it should be replaced, since decking tiles will not provide any additional structural strength and need to be laid on a firm level surface without "rocking".

And another great advantage of using decking tiles to repair or resurface an existing upper level wood deck is that you can easily make the area under the deck waterproof. Here's how.

Firstly you lay down an EPDM sheet to completely cover your existing deck. You can buy EPDM in different widths with lengths up to 50' wide from specialist suppliers such as Resource Conservation Technology who can also custom fabricate a single sheet to avoid seams. They can also supply a complete system that includes all required adhesives, sealants etc.

Cut the EPDM sheet to fit your deck - or the area which you want to keep dry underneath and try to make sure there are no seams so the moisture barrier is one continuous sheet. If you need to seal around pipes or posts etc., there are sealers made specifically for EPDM such as M-1 Sealant.

Alternatively if you have a plywood surface on your deck, you may wish to consider one of the liquid rubber type products which are generally applied by spraying, such as Sani-Tred or Premium Liquid Rubber.

Then you just click the HandyDeck decking tiles into place over the top and in no time at all you'll have a great looking wood deck on top and a totally dry area underneath.