Advice on DIY second floor deck rebuild
 

I’m going to attempt to rebuild the deck on the second floor of our house. It looks like it was previously done with pressure treated 2x6. Assuming that the underlying supports are good, what would you recommend for the deck flooring? As for the railing cap, I’m probably just going to tear off the two by sixes and replace with either 2x6 pressure treated or cedar.

The 4 x 4 rail posts appear to be solid.

For the deck flooring I am leaning towards either pressure treated 5/4 deck boards or cedar. The main reason being that I have to haul that wood up to the second floor! Wood gets heavy when you’re carrying it up two floors!

The obligatory pictures:
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I'd suggest 5/4 PT decking, no reason to go up to 2x's. Also - have you checked lumber prices lately? You might want to hold off for next year - and hope they return from COVID peaks.

Also, check on your local building codes. Spacing on those ballisters is waaaayyy too wide to meet code now (at least in these parts.)

Agree on code updates. Good time to check the footers too.

We've had a few deck "accidents" in the last few years - meaning collapse or partially so for older decks with people injured.

Trek seems to be the best of the fake wood decking - it can sag in hot weather.

See if Look41 will eyeball things for you.

Go with Timberteck

Thanks for the suggestions!

MBA: I had completely forgotten about the run up in lumber prices. This might be a better spring project. And the code here would not allow such a wide spacing on the balusters, which is why I’m not going to tear the railing off if I can avoid it.

RWebb: no need for me to worry about footings as this wraparound deck sits on top of a house addition that was done a number of years ago.

Depend on the amount of rain you get through the year. If you like idea of low maintenance, then milk bottle decking is your friend. Yep, Trex or something similar and they are making them much better today to mimic lumber. Yep, Webb is correct, it sags on a really hot day especially if the joist is 24 on center. That aint no workie.

Personally, I would rip out all the handrails including the 4x posts. Secure the post then lay the deck. For decking, I like the real feel of wood, but it must be maintained yearly. 5/4" Ipe or Mangaris. If you decide to paint over it, then use pressure treated or simply Cedar 2x material (cheaper). I have never been a big fan of pressure treated lumber. I dislike tracking that chemical fill dust into my home. Typ. code requirement is 4" between railings.

Is there a way to avoid carrying that lumber up two floors? I know you like to build those big chest and 6 packs but that's a lot of work. How about leaning long pieces on the deck and pull them up from the top. Screw a couple of boards down for better footing while pulling decking up is safer then standing on the edges of the joist. God know I have done a bit of that stunt in my 20s.

Honestly? There's a way better place for this question.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/

Can you post a pic from underneath showing structure?

With shortages can't buy 5/4 decking around here right now.

Fiberglass/solid waterproof decking around $7-$10 per sf installed. Needs a pitched plywood base, but if you have another deck underneath you gain a roof.

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Ok, that interesting. There's a structure underneath. If there's no leaks, replace the decking. I now know why you don't want to tear into the structure.

So you have some sort of roof below the deck boards. Could be Tar or rolled roofing, nearing end of life? I would hate to put a new deck on top, and have it leak a few years from now.

I would consider plywood and fiberglass.

In any event, I'd pull up some deck boards and see what's underneath.

This answers your question about how to get the materials up there. Find a supplier that can deliver with a boom truck, even Home Depot can do it.

Worrying about the weight of lumber? Wait 'till you lift some composite.

Jeez, remove a couple of balusters, lean the material against the house and pull it up as you build. If you have to, stack it in the back of the truck to raise it another 3 feet.

Another comment - the overall condition of every single board in your pictures - at least to me - screams out and calls for a complete rebuild. Not sure if you've got kids/grandkids that small, but one too many leans against one of those balusters, and that's the last time it would happen. :(

I'm in the middle of a deck project right now. Pressure treated lumber and Trex decking is back ordered. So far, my experience with Trex has not been great. They sent a defective batch and instead of replacing it promptly, put me at the end of the line. So I'm sitting here with half a deck and hoping to see more material sometime this month.

Agree with you there.
Also the new decking up against the old stuff will not go over well.

My suggestion is to pull up some deck boards randomly to see what the frame/structure looks like . If the structure is crapple you need to fix that first . I like 5/4 PT deck boards and the supply chain is starting to recover . But like any exterior wood you can't just install it and forget about it .

It doesn't look like the wood in your pics has been maintained . Depending on sun and weather exposure you need to hit it with stain or clear preservative every 2-3 years . If you are not willing to do that then maybe a Trex type product is better for you . But the plastic boards have their own issues .

ok, stains...

I tested a dozen types of stain (PNW, so wet in winter & sun in summer)

TWP was best, followed by SuperDeck - they are both oil stains HINT, HINT

I agree on TWP oil stain , I used it on my new ( weathered 6 months ) deck last fall it is great stuff .

Best advice I can give you


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