Deck repairs in BrisbaneQuotes from QBCC-licensed carpenters for deck repairs, sanding, oiling and restoration

Common deck repairs in Brisbane

Brisbane decks get hot sun for most of the year and heavy rain in the storm season, and the timber shrinks and swells with both. Most deck repairs come down to a few jobs:

Split, cupped or soft boards

Damaged boards are lifted, the joists underneath are checked, and new boards of the same width and thickness are fitted. Old merbau and hardwood can be matched closely once the deck is oiled; new boards look brighter for a season.

Lifting nails and loose boards

Over the years, nails work up out of the joists as the boards move. They're punched or pulled, and the boards refixed with decking screws so they stay down.

Loose steps and handrails

Deck stairs take the most wear. Split treads are replaced, stringers checked where they meet the ground, and wobbly handrails and balustrade posts refixed or replaced.

Deck sanding, oiling and staining

Grey, weathered boards are sanded back to clean timber, the gaps cleared, and two coats of decking oil or stain brushed on. A deck in full sun needs re-oiling more often than one under a roof.

Deck cleaning before a recoat

Some decks need only a clean and a fresh coat rather than a full sand. Say when it was last oiled and whether the old finish is peeling.

How much do deck repairs cost in Brisbane?

Deck repairs are priced after the carpenter has seen the deck or clear photos of it. The size of the deck, how many boards and steps need replacing, whether the boards can be matched, and whether the whole deck is being sanded and oiled are what set the price. A deck that needs a few boards and a recoat is a small job; one with soft joists underneath is a different job altogether.

Published carpenter hourly and call-out rates are on the carpenter rates page. If the repairs come to more than $3,300 including labour, materials and GST, the work needs a QBCC-licensed contractor and a written contract.

When a deck repair becomes structural

Boards, steps, fixings and the finish are maintenance. Rotten or termite-damaged bearers, joists and posts are different: they carry the deck, and replacing them is structural work.

The Building Regulation treats some structural repairs as accepted development, but only where the work doesn't affect "more than 20% of the building's structural components of the same type". Beyond that, or if the frame is in poor shape across the deck, ask a building certifier whether the repair needs an approval. Over $3,300, structural repairs need a contractor whose QBCC licence class covers decks.

Deck balustrades that are loose or too low

An older deck may have a balustrade that no longer meets the building code. The National Construction Code requires a barrier where it's possible to fall 1 m or more, at least 1 m high on a deck or verandah, with no gap that lets a 125 mm sphere through (NCC Housing Provisions, part 11.3).

Loose posts are refixed, and low or wide-gapped balustrades replaced. The stairs and balustrades page covers new balustrades and stairs.

Cleaning a deck beside fibro sheeting

A house built before 1990 may have asbestos cement sheeting on its walls and eaves: the Queensland Government lists wall sheeting, cladding and eaves among its common uses. It also says "It is illegal to use a high pressure water blaster on asbestos cement roofs, fences and walls", so a deck beside old fibro sheeting is cleaned by hand, not blasted. See asbestos before renovating.

What to send with your enquiry

• Photos of the whole deck, the worst boards and the stairs
• The rough size of the deck in square metres
• The timber, if you know it: merbau, spotted gum, treated pine
• When it was last oiled or stained, and whether the old finish is peeling
• Photos underneath, if you can see the joists and posts
• Whether you want just the repairs, or the whole deck sanded and oiled

Questions about deck repairs in Brisbane