Removing a deck means taking off the railings and boards, then the joists and beams, then the posts and footings, and finally dealing with the ledger board where the deck was fastened to the house. The ledger is where the surprises hide, so plan for the siding and flashing repair it exposes, and block the door once the deck is gone.
Why decks come down
Most decks come down for one of three reasons: rot, a loose connection to the house, or a new plan for the space. Soft boards, posts rotted at the ground, joists that flex and railings that move are signs a deck has reached its end. A ledger board pulling away from the house, or water stains on the siding below it, are more serious, because that joint holds up the whole house side of the deck. Sometimes the deck is fine but in the way of an addition, a patio, a pool or a new deck. Whatever the reason, a deck that people stand on and that is failing should be closed off until it is gone.
Old treated lumber
The age of the wood matters. EPA says that before 2004, wood treated with chromated copper arsenate was used in residential structures such as decks and playsets, and that manufacturers stopped making it for homeowner uses at the end of 2003. Older decks may be built of it. When cutting it, EPA recommends goggles and a mask and a hand wash after; it should never be burned at home or chipped for mulch. Normal household trash usually accepts it, subject to local rules. Painted decks on older houses may also carry lead paint, which EPA warns turns to dust when scraped or demolished.
Before the first board comes up
Look at everything attached to the deck or under it. Lights, outlets or a hot tub mean wiring that an electrician should disconnect at the source. A gas line to a grill needs shutting off and capping by someone qualified. Check for a dryer vent, an air conditioner, a hose bib or downspouts tied into the structure. Ask the building inspections office for your address whether removal needs a permit, especially if the deck was part of a permitted addition. Footings that will be dug out call for a locate request three working days ahead in either state, and buried wiring you added to yard lights or a hot tub will not be marked.
The order of work
Work from the top down and the outside in. Take off the railings, balusters and stairs first. Then the deck boards: cutting each board between the joists with a circular saw set to the board's depth is faster than prying out every fastener. With the boards gone, the joists come out one at a time, then the beams, then the posts. Keep the structure supported as you go, and never stand on or under a section you are cutting loose. Do not hook a chain to a deck and pull it down with a truck. A deck attached to the house can take the siding, the rim of the house frame or a window with it.
The ledger board
The ledger is the board bolted or screwed to the house that carries one end of the joists. Take it off last, backing out the bolts or lag screws rather than ripping it free. What is behind it tells you about the house. Ledgers were often fastened through the siding or with poor flashing, and water can sit behind them for years. Expect bolt holes, missing siding, stained or soft sheathing, and sometimes rot in the house framing itself. Probe any dark wood with a screwdriver. Close the opening against weather before you stop work, and plan a proper repair of the framing, sheathing, flashing and siding before the next wet season.
Posts and footings
Deck posts sit on concrete footings, are set in concrete in the ground or, on old decks, are buried straight in the dirt. Concrete footings can be dug out or broken, or cut off below the surface if nothing will be built there. A machine makes short work of them where a person with a shovel and a digging bar spends hours on each. If a new deck or a porch is planned, ask the designer or inspector before reusing any old footing, since it may not meet current size or depth for the new design. Fill and compact the holes left behind, so they do not sink into soft spots.
The door that opens onto nothing
When a deck comes off, the door that led to it becomes a doorway onto a drop. That is a fall waiting to happen, especially for children and visitors. Lock it, screw it shut or fit a temporary barrier across the opening the day the deck comes down, and keep it that way until there are new steps, a new deck or a permanent guard. Tell everyone in the house. Do the same for any basement door or window that was under the old deck and now opens onto a work zone, until the ground there is graded.
What is underneath, and what comes next
Under a deck you often find bare, packed soil, old debris, a buried stump or two, and ground that slopes toward the house. This is the moment to fix all of it. A stump that was boxed in by the deck can be ground now with clear access, as covered in stumps under a deck or porch. The ground should fall away from the foundation, and Extension's turf advice puts that fall at 2 to 3 percent. Debris from a deck fills a trailer quickly, so a roll-off dumpster helps if you are doing it yourself, or the whole tear-out can be quoted as demolition.
Common Questions
Can old deck footings be left in the ground?
Often, if nothing will be built there. Footings can be cut off or broken below the surface and covered with soil so a mower or a new lawn clears them. If a new deck, porch or addition is going in, ask the designer or inspector whether any old footing can be reused, since it may not suit the new design.
What should I do with old pressure-treated deck boards?
Keep them out of the fire pit and the chipper. Decks from before 2004 may be built with arsenic-treated wood, which EPA says must not be burned at home or reused as mulch. Most counties take it with household trash or construction debris; confirm with yours.
Will I need siding repairs after a deck is taken off?
Usually. Where the ledger board was fastened to the house there will be bolt holes, missing or cut siding and often water staining behind it. Sometimes the sheathing or framing is soft. Close the opening the day the ledger comes off, then have the wall checked and repaired, including flashing, before new siding goes on.
What to Do Next
Photos of the deck, how it attaches to the house and the way in, plus your town, are enough for a first number. Send them to (828) 574-4474 or jbdumpsters@outlook.com, or see how to demolish a shed for the freestanding version of the job.
See our demolition service or call (828) 574-4474.