Why is my deck falling apart after cleaning?

by John Doe
(New Jersey)

Apparent Dry Rot in First Deck Board

Knot Hole Popped Out Or Dry Rot in Second Board

Perspective View of Deck Boards

Last year I paid my neighbor to clean and paint my backyard deck. Ever since he did it i see holes popping up and cracks appearing. Might he have done the job wrong? Should there be some seal applied to it?

I'm starting to get worried. Also, what kind of wood filler should I get?

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Jan 18, 2022
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It's from a metaphoric insect pupa NEW
by: Anonymous Kyle

These are all over my currently infested and getting more infested by the millisecond it seems condo in a highrise in Toronto. Goes to show not even the concrete jungle can guarantee SANITY lol

Anyway it looks like one of my moths in its pupa stage pretends to vanish for a few weeks and then emerges winged nocturnal reproduction vessel in I'll have to say rather impressive new attire. Check around Inside to be sure you arent seeing any other spots like this.. believe me now that my infestation went unnoticed and untreated thanks Carlos shout out to my terrible landlord cause then along came a small country of spiders bigger than your thumb weaving sheets of cross cross invisible sauce silk which sticks and doesnt stick swpwnding where ya hit the invisible wall they erected which had amazing concealment capabilities for sby human eye typically at 3-6 feet from the maybe. Ground and will be convinced theres nothing wrong till one day the webs become so plenty and that master spinner gets sloppy and you get your unsuspecting face silked lol some moths and larva also create similar yet unstructured webs to chill out in esp the caterpillars who will turn any ol tree into your very own backyard tent city. Haha if you have moths close to home in numbers st ae rt sealing the old cracks and get a decoy owl and spray a residual perimeter around your entire house ar all openings check regularly. A bad infestation is the worst most time consuming emotion murdering misfortune to have ever gone over and beyond my early signs observational wizardry and now 7months later just when I thought I had it under better life stolen management a falcon flew in having had its babies here sometime. It seemed to be chasing something I could not see. Still the albino microbat that k my wall paint color quickly vanished into the HVAC and to my maniacal laughter and horror. If course this would happen to a guy who's seen a small snake in my first ever appointment. Squirrels on the ceiling of second and why not the entirety of Toronto's microbat populus miss the fun of in and out

I could be wrong about your sich out there but worth inspecting recommendations man if you can find it early and marry your vacuum you may have time to come help me handle this one.. haha
All the best and god speed you! Lol hope this helps anyone out there peace unity love every single one of you.

Jul 11, 2010
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decay
by: Barnettdeck.com

Good theory. Your neighbor did nothing wrong. The decay process had already started. replace those boards. Remove any bio matter from on or under deck. Oils should be replaced after cleaning especially with cedar.

Jul 10, 2010
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Risks pressure washing wood
by: Editor - Rich Bergman

I can't say exactly why your deck is falling apart after a pressure washing but I have a theory based on what I have seen happen to cedar shake and sawn shingle roofs.

First of all I don't know what type of wood that is but let me just explain what happened to these roofs. After a few years of use, the owners decided to pressure wash the shingles and so they hired a company.

The company did what it was hired to do and blasted away all the growth, mold, moss and dirt and the shingles looked brand new for about a year. But what happened was all the essential oils in the heart of the wood - cedar - that actually make them so good for use as shingles had been washed away leaving the pours open and without a natural defence to bacteria.

Within two years all of these roofs were in terrible condition, rotting and literally starting to flake away. They all had to eventually be removed and re-roofed.

Maybe a similar situation is happening here. Its just my theory. Maybe someone else who has more experience might be able to add to this phenomenon.

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