What this comes down to
- The boards are the cheap part of a deck, and the frame under them decides whether re-decking is worth doing at all.
- New boards add no strength, so a resurface lasts only as long as the joists, ledger and post bases beneath it.
- Decay fungi generally need wood above about 25 to 30 percent moisture, so rot starts where water sits, not where the surface looks worst.
- Trex says its composite boards generally need joists no more than 16 inches apart, or 12 inches when laid on a diagonal.
- A deck built before 2004 likely contains arsenic-treated lumber, which the Consumer Product Safety Commission says must never be burned.
- Perfect Work Remodeling & Repairs lists boards over a sound frame from $10 per square foot, and a new pressure-treated deck from $24.
Resurfacing a deck means replacing the boards and keeping the frame. Rebuilding means replacing the frame as well. Homeowners usually ask about the boards. The frame decides which of the two jobs a deck needs.
This guide explains how to tell the two jobs apart. It covers what the frame must prove and what new decking asks of the joists. It also covers old treated lumber and what each route costs. It ends with what only an opened deck can answer.
What is the difference between resurfacing and rebuilding a deck?
Resurfacing replaces the deck boards and keeps the joists, beam, posts and ledger. Rebuilding replaces some or all of that frame, and sometimes the footings too. A resurface is a surface job. A rebuild is a structural job.
The price gap follows the labor. Boards come off one at a time and new ones go on. A rebuild means supporting the deck, cutting out members and adding connectors. It often means pulling a permit. The same deck can need either job, depending on what the frame shows.
Can new decking go over an old deck frame?
Yes, when the frame passes inspection. New boards add no load capacity, so the old frame carries everything. The American Wood Council's deck construction guide sets joist spans by size, species and spacing. It assumes number 2 grade lumber.
That guide is written for new decks, so it says nothing about reusing old ones. A frame can match its span table on paper and still be soft from years of water. A span table describes sound wood. Only a probe and a look can show whether the wood is still sound.
How do I know if the frame is sound enough to resurface?
Probe it. Lift a few boards. Press an awl or a screwdriver into the joist tops, the ledger, the beam and the post bases. Sound wood resists and splinters. Rotted wood gives way and breaks across the grain.
Moisture explains where to look. Forest Service researchers Charles Carll and Terry Highley wrote the decay moisture research. It reports that most decay fungi need wood above roughly 25 to 30 percent moisture. Joist tops under boards, post bases and ledgers stay wet longest.
The same paper finds that short wetting does little harm. It also says decay under swinging moisture is poorly understood. A deck lives in swinging moisture. That is why a dry-looking frame still gets probed at every joist top, the ledger and each post.
What does new decking ask of the joists?
Closer spacing. Trex, a decking manufacturer, publishes a composite joist spacing guide. It says joists should generally be no more than 16 inches on center. It requires 12 inches when boards run on a diagonal.
The same page covers one reuse case, wood decking on joists spaced 24 inches apart. Its fix is one new joist between each existing pair. Added joists need hangers and fasteners that suit treated lumber. The American Wood Council guide calls for hot-dip galvanized or stainless fasteners and connectors.
How much does resurfacing cost compared with rebuilding?
Starting prices from Perfect Work Remodeling & Repairs show the gap. Replacing boards over a sound frame starts at $10 per square foot. A typical 200 square foot re-deck starts at $1,995. A new pressure-treated deck starts at $24 per square foot.
| The work | Starting price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Deck board replacement over a sound frame | From $10 per sq ft | Board material and pattern |
| Typical 200 sq ft re-deck | From $1,995 | Material, railing and frame repairs |
| Joist repair or sistering | From $125 per joist | Joists affected and access |
| Joist replacement | From $175 per joist | Span and hangers |
| Ledger board repair | From $495 | Length, fasteners and flashing |
| New pressure-treated deck | From $24 per sq ft | Size, height, footings and permit |
Frame repairs add to a re-deck instead of replacing it, so price them together. The guides to deck replacement costs and wood versus composite costs show how boards move the total.
Does re-decking need a permit?
Often not for boards alone, and usually yes for a rebuild. Towns differ on where the line falls, and the deck repair permit guide compares three DuPage towns. Replacing beams, joists or posts is structural, and some towns require a permit for it.
When a permit is issued, the inspection follows the frame. The American Wood Council guide has the building official verify footing bearing before the pour. It has the official check the ledger lag screws too. No one may use the deck before final inspection.
What happens to the old deck boards?
A deck built before 2004 likely contains CCA, an arsenic-based preservative. The Consumer Product Safety Commission published arsenic-treated wood guidance. It says manufacturers stopped residential use at the end of 2003. Decks that are not cedar or redwood and predate 2004 likely contain it.
The commission says never to burn treated wood, because smoke and ash release toxic chemicals. Discarded CCA lumber can usually go to a construction and demolition landfill. State or local rules may be stricter. A tear-out is a disposal job as well as a carpentry job.
How do I decide whether to resurface or rebuild?
Read the frame, member by member, and match what it shows to a route. The table below is a reading of the sources above, not a rule. An opened deck can move any row of it.
| What the frame shows | Usual route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Firm joists, ledger and posts at 16 inches | Resurface | New boards add no load the frame cannot carry |
| A few soft joists, the rest firm | Resurface with joist repair | Sistering and replacement are priced per joist |
| Firm joists at 24 inches, composite chosen | Resurface with added joists | The manufacturer calls for 16 inches |
| Soft ledger or rusted ledger fasteners | Repair the ledger first | The deck hangs from the house at that line |
| Soft post bases or a leaning post | Rebuild | The posts carry the beam and everything above |
| Most joists soft | Rebuild | Repairs approach the cost of a new frame |
What cannot be determined without opening the deck?
How much of the frame is sound. Boards hide the joist tops, and the joist tops are where water sits. Rot inside a joist can show nothing outside, and a look cannot measure how much strength is left.
Footing depth, post connections and ledger fasteners are hidden too. So is the age of the lumber, which decides the disposal rules. The town that issues the permit decides whether a rebuild needs one.
Deck resurfacing questions
Can I put new decking over old deck boards?
Not as a rule. Old boards hide the joist tops, where water sits and rot starts. The old boards come off first so the joists can be probed and any soft ones repaired. New boards then go onto a frame that has been looked at.
How long does a resurfaced deck last?
As long as the frame under it. New boards on firm joists with sound fasteners can outlast the old set. A soft joist or post sets the limit. Decay needs sustained moisture, so keeping water off the framing extends the life.
How does Perfect Work decide between resurfacing and rebuilding a deck?
Perfect Work Remodeling & Repairs lifts boards before quoting. It then probes the joist tops, ledger, beam and post bases. Firm frames are priced as a resurface. Soft members are priced per joist or as a rebuild. The quote lists what each member showed.
Can I burn the old treated lumber from my deck?
No. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says smoke and ash from treated wood release toxic chemicals. Decks built before 2004 likely contain CCA. Discarded lumber usually goes to a construction and demolition landfill. Check local rules first.
What does a deck resurfacing estimate from Perfect Work cover?
Perfect Work Remodeling & Repairs lists the board material and the square footage. It also lists the fasteners and any joist repairs found. Prices are written as starting prices. Rot found after the boards come off is priced per joist before work continues.
Does composite decking need a different frame than wood?
It can. Trex says its boards generally need joists no more than 16 inches apart, or 12 inches on a diagonal. A frame spaced at 24 inches needs a joist added between each existing pair before composite goes on.
Start with the frame, not the boards
A re-deck is a decision about the frame that happens to be priced by the board. Firm joists, ledger and posts make resurfacing the sensible route. Soft ones push the job toward a rebuild, and only an opened deck settles it.
A visit from Perfect Work Remodeling & Repairs starts by lifting a few boards and probing the frame. The result is a plain choice between a resurface and a rebuild, with the reasons. The guide to whether to repair or replace a deck covers the wider choice. Deck services lists the work.
Call Perfect Work at 630-297-7888 · Book a deck check