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Overheard my neighbor bragging about his new deck at a block party
He told everyone he built it himself in a weekend for $400. I saw the thing. It's already sagging in the middle and he used untreated pine. I built mine last summer from pressure treated lumber and real cedar railings, took me three weekends and cost $1200. People always skip the important stuff like proper joist hangers and flashing. Anyone else deal with neighbors cutting corners and acting like experts?
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the_hugo4mo ago
That pressure treated lumber needs to be rated for ground contact if it's anywhere near dirt or moisture. A lot of guys grab the cheaper above ground stuff and wonder why it rots in 3 years. I'd also check if he used galvanized hangers, those cheap zinc ones turn to dust fast around untreated pine. Might hold up okay if he sealed everything well but sagging in the middle says he probably skipped the midspan supports.
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