A deck rarely fails all at once. One or two boards go soft, a corner starts to bounce, or a creak appears where people walk most. Often the cause is a few rotten boards or a loose joist rather than the whole deck, and a targeted decking repair brings it back into use for far less than a new one.
We repair timber and composite decks: replacing boards, re-fixing and strengthening the frame underneath, and telling you honestly when the frame has gone too far to save.
What a decking repair covers
We lift the problem boards first to see what is underneath, because the surface often hides the real cause.
- Replacing rotten, split or broken deck boards
- Fixing bouncy decks by adding or strengthening joists
- Stopping creaks by re-fixing loose boards and joists
- Replacing rotten joists and supports in the frame
Bouncy and creaking decks
A bounce usually means the joists are too far apart, undersized, or have lost their support. A creak usually means boards or joists have worked loose and are rubbing. Both are fixed underneath: adding joists or noggins, re-fixing with screws, and making sure the frame sits firmly on its supports. Our guide to decking substructure and joist spacing explains why this matters.
Composite board replacement
Composite boards can be swapped out individually. One thing to know: colours vary between production batches and boards change colour slightly as they weather, so a new board may not match the old ones exactly. Where it matters, we can move boards around so new ones sit in a less visible spot.
Repair or replace the deck?
If the boards are tired but the frame is sound, it is often worth re-boarding on the existing frame. If the joists are soft, the supports have sunk or rot has spread through the frame, a full replacement is usually better value than chasing problems. We look at the frame before recommending either, and our decking page covers new decks in full.
Signs your deck needs attention
Catching problems early keeps a repair small. Soft spots under foot, boards that flex more than their neighbours, screws lifting out of the surface, green and slippery patches that never dry, and a deck that moves when you step on the edge are all worth looking at. Most of these come from water sitting on or under the deck, so we also check drainage and ventilation underneath while the boards are up.
- Soft or spongy boards
- Lifting screws or nails
- Boards that stay wet and slippery
- Movement at the edges or steps
How a decking repair runs
Send us photos and rough measurements, we send a written estimate, then we visit to confirm before work starts. We cover London and Hertfordshire. Photos of the problem area and of the deck as a whole help us see what is likely underneath.