The deck below is the final blog related to an earlier post about tall trees near homes and how that impacts roofs and decks. The wood at this deck, at the time of the inspection, was still in satisfactory condition. At least, based on what a person could see under the debris, that was the case. Regardless, if this condition continues unabated, that will not be the case forever. A deck like this is designed to have gaps between the decking boards. Why? So the rain can drip through and the surface will dry. If the gaps are too close together, debris clogs them, or moss and fungal growth is growing, moisture can collect and that rots the wood in a short period of time. In a case like this, if a person really wants to keep the trees, the secret to keeping the deck sound for as long as is possible is simple --- clean, clean, clean, sweep, sweep, sweep.
Thanks for looking.
Steven L. Smith
Bellingham WA Home Inspections
Check out "This Day In History" -- music and vintage television from the 1950's through the 1980's. I enjoy writing these articles because they take me back to my days in radio broadcasting. Click on Elvis' gold record, below, to revisit those golden hits of yesteryear.
