Watched my neighbor's deck rot away in just 18 months after he used untreated lumber

He built a beautiful raised deck out back of his house on Maple Street, used regular pine from the big box store. After one winter of snow and spring rains, the boards started curling and turning gray. By the second summer, there were soft spots you could push your finger into. I told him to use pressure treated or cedar from the start but he wanted to save about $150. Has anyone else seen a project fail fast from skipping the right materials?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_holly12d ago

Yep, seen it way too many times. Treated lumber isn't just for looks, it's the difference between a deck lasting a decade and one that's compost in two years. That $150 he saved is probably gonna cost him triple to tear out and redo now.

casey81811d ago

Learned that lesson myself with some cheap fence panels that were mush inside a year.

emma_garcia12d ago

Oh man, I watched my brother-in-law do the exact same thing with a garden shed and it was basically mulch by year two, he got so mad when I pointed out the rot spreading up the walls.

emmaking12d ago

My neighbor up the street used cedar for his deck about 5 years ago and it still looks almost new. He just hoses it off once a year and keeps the dirt and leaves off it. Only thing he did different from your guy was spending that little bit extra upfront. I redid my own steps with pressure treated pine last summer and so far so good, no warping or soft spots. It really is one of those things where you pay now or pay way more later.