Deck repair and fence repair in Markham

Most decks and fences don’t fail all at once. A few boards go soft, a railing starts to wobble, or one fence section leans after a windy winter while the rest of the wood is fine.

Deck repair and fence repair means fixing those bad spots properly, so you get more years out of what you already have.

Rot, loose fasteners and posts that have shifted cause most of them:

Scroll sideways to see the whole table.

A loose railing or a rotten stair is a safety problem. Tell us about that part first, and we’ll deal with it before the rest of the job.

We replace what’s damaged with matching wood and the right fasteners, then tighten whatever has worked loose:

1. We look at the whole deck or fence with you, not only the problem spot. We probe the wood around the damage with a screwdriver (the test in the North American Deck and Railing Association’s deck checklist) and check the posts and joists.
2. We remove the damaged boards, pickets or rails and check the joists underneath while they’re exposed.
3. New boards and rails are cut to match the old ones and fastened with screws or fasteners made for pressure-treated wood.
4. We tighten or rebuild loose railings and stair treads, rehang gates and fix popped fasteners.
5. We haul away the old wood and point out anything else worth keeping an eye on.

The fasteners matter. Today’s wood treatments are harder on steel than the old CCA treatment was, so Simpson Strong-Tie and Wood Preservation Canada point to hot-dip galvanized or stainless steel hardware for treated wood.

We give you a free quote after seeing the job. The biggest swing is whether the damage stops at the boards and pickets or reaches the frame or posts, which takes far longer to fix.

Pressure-treated lumber, cedar and composite all cost different amounts. Older board sizes aren’t always still sold, so a close match can take more work.

A fence behind a garage or a deck over a steep slope takes longer to reach. Washing and coating afterwards, so new and old wood match, adds to the job too.

If the look matters to you, yes. New wood never matches weathered boards on day one, so the usual plan is to repair first, then pressure wash and coat the whole surface.

We also do deck painting and waterproof coating and fence painting, so it can all be one job. Our deck restoration and fence restoration projects show that washing and coating work.

For more detail, our guides cover deck staining in Ontario, painting versus staining a fence and pressure washing wood without damaging it.

Keep water off the wood and catch loose parts early:

• Sweep leaves out of the gaps between deck boards so water can drain.
• Keep soil, mulch and firewood away from the bottom of fence boards and deck posts.
• Point downspouts away from the deck and fence line.
• Check railings and gate hinges each spring and tighten anything that’s moved.
• Recoat the wood before it turns grey and cracks.

You can swap a single deck board over a weekend if you own a saw and a drill. It gets harder when the problem is a rotten post, a railing that has to hold someone’s weight, or a fence post that has to be dug out.

For posts, see how to fix a leaning fence post. Digging means getting underground lines marked first: Ontario Dig Authority (formerly Ontario One Call) says you must request a free locate before you dig for a fence or deck.

If the repair turns into rebuilding the frame or changing the deck’s size or height, ask your city about a permit. In Toronto, for example, a deck more than 60 cm (24 inches) above the ground needs a building permit.

For fences, our guide to fence rules in Markham and Toronto covers the height limits.

We work across Markham and nearby, including Richmond Hill, Thornhill and Scarborough.

The quickest start is to text a few photos of the damaged boards or fence section to (437) 684-2535 with your street or postal code. We’ll come by, take a look and give you a free quote.

• Boards that feel soft or spongy underfoot
• A railing that moves when you lean on it
• Nail heads sticking up out of the deck boards
• Stair treads that rock, crack or sag in the middle
• A fence section leaning after a windstorm
• A gate that drags on the ground or won't latch
• Missing, split or broken fence boards