Started Saturday morning thinking I'd just replace a few rotted boards. Pulled them up and realized the whole support structure underneath is shot. So now I'm looking at either calling a contractor (wife is NOT gonna like that bill) or trying to learn how to do the whole thing myself on YouTube. This is why I hate home projects. They never stay simple. Anybody dealt with this before?
Oh man, that's the classic DIY trap. You think it's a quick Saturday project and suddenly you're looking at a total rebuild. At least you caught it before something worse happened. Take it one step at a time.
Oof, that's rough but honestly better to find out now than have the whole thing go bad later. This is where a working knowledge of YouTube and some patience becomes your best friend. You got this.
This is why I pay someone else. Seriously though, those projects always expand. Are you at least able to still use the deck or is it completely shut down while you fix it?
Been there. Started the same way with my deck two years ago. Ended up replacing half the support structure. How deep does the rot go? If it's just the surface boards you might get lucky.
Oh man, the hidden rot reveal. That's the worst part of any deck project. So what's the damage looking like now? Just structural boards or are you into the support posts too? This could either be a weekend or a major undertaking.
RIP your weekend plans. I feel this in my soul. Every DIY project I touch becomes a three-weekend nightmare. Hope the rest of the structure underneath is solid at least.
This is why I just pressure wash mine every year now. Sorry you're dealing with this though, sounds expensive.
That's rough. I started a similar project and it snowballed into replacing half the frame. My advice: if you find rot in those boards, check everything around it. Rot spreads and you don't want to be back out there in three months.
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Oh man, this is always how it goes. You think it's a quick Saturday project and suddenly you're looking at structural damage and your wife's asking when you'll be done. Did you find termites or just regular water damage? The key is to stop the bleeding before you rebuild.