5 Signs Your Old Deck Needs More Than a New Coat of Stain

A worn, gray finish is the easy problem to spot, and often the least important one. Boards that flex or bounce noticeably underfoot, ledger board attachment showing gaps or rust streaks where it meets the house, visible rot at post bases near ground contact, railings that wiggle rather than staying rigid, and a deck that feels slightly different in level than it used to are all signs the structure itself needs attention, not just the surface finish. Any one of these means a repair inspection should come before a restain, since fresh finish on a failing structure just hides the problem for a season rather than fixing it.