The before-and-after comparison shown on this page is a deck replacement project in the Everett area. The original deck was about twelve years old and had been showing problems for a couple of years — soft spots near the ledger, a stair stringer with visible rot at the base, and boards that had cupped badly after repeated wet seasons without sealing.
The homeowners had patched it twice and decided a replacement made more sense than a third round of repairs.
What we found during demolition:
- Ledger flashing had failed, allowing water into the house framing behind the siding for an unknown period
- Two posts were sitting in standing water and had rotted at the base
- The rim joist was soft in two locations
What was rebuilt:
- Full demo and haul-off of the existing structure
- New ledger installation with correct flashing and siding integration
- Concrete footings at the correct depth for the soil
- Pressure-treated framing throughout
- Composite deck boards chosen to avoid repeating the maintenance cycle that had let the original deck deteriorate
The finished deck is wider than the original by two feet, includes a new stair layout with a landing at the bottom, and has a composite surface that doesn't need annual sealing.
This project is a good example of why the on-site estimate matters for replacement projects specifically. The problems with the ledger and the rotted posts weren't visible from the surface — they showed up during demo. We build that kind of discovery into how we plan replacement scope rather than treating it as a surprise that changes the estimate.
