What you see on the surface of a deck, like gray boards, a few popped nails, or a loose rail, often looks worse than it is. What matters more is what's underneath: the ledger, the joists, the posts, and the footings. That's where the repair-or-replace decision gets made.
Start with the ledger, the board that attaches the deck to your house. It should be bolted, not just nailed, and flashed so water can't run behind it into the house framing. A ledger that's rotting or pulling away is the most serious problem a deck can have, and it's the first thing we check.
Next come the joists and posts. Push a screwdriver into a few spots. If it sinks in easily, the wood is rotting. A few soft joists can be sistered or replaced, but widespread rot usually means the frame has reached the end of its life. Posts should sit on proper footings, not buried directly in the dirt.
If the structure is sound, repairs are usually the better value: replace damaged boards, tighten or rebuild the railing, fix the stairs, and clean and seal the surface. If the structure isn't sound, putting new boards on an old frame just hides the problem.
We'll inspect your deck from underneath, show you what we find, and give you a written estimate for the option that actually makes sense, whether that's a repair or a new deck in wood or composite.