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Replacing Tongue-and-Groove Paneling on Your Wood Deck

Wood decks are loved by consumers and businesses alike. It doesn't matter whether you own a small real estate building in Manassas VA, in the city Falls Church, VA., or a large farm home located in Leesburg VA or Northern Virginia, decks provide both an aesthetic and functional appeal. Most decks are constructed using tongue and groove interlocking flooring pieces. This provides a more classical look but also a nightmare for consumers who are interested in replacing only one or a few of the boards.

Rotting wood is caused when poor treatment is applied. Wood's make up consists of a network of microscopic cells. This network can be compared to that of a honeycomb structure. Once wood is cut to the desired length and shape the cells remain exposed to the elements. The cut honeycomb structure acts as a bowl which can catch particles from dust and dirt as well as tree and plant pollen. The larger of the particles will eventually be washed and blown away while the smaller particles will find themselves trapped in the cells. Overtime, the cells will fill p with debris and will give the wood a discolored and very unattractive view.

The biggest mistake amongst consumers who try to replace the boards themselves is randomly removing the boards with a crowbar or hammer. This will most certainly result in damage to the surrounding boards. To avoid further damage to your deck, take a circular saw a remove the center of the damaged panel. This can be done by making two even and parallel cuts. Once the center of the board is removed, the groove portion of the rotten panel can be removed by tapping on it sideways with a hammer. The sideways tapping will force the groove to unlock from the adjacent panels tongue. The tongue portion of the panel can be removed by pulling on the panel with locking pliers.

As stated earlier in the article, the number one cause of wood rot is poor treatment. In the case of wood flooring the professionals a Decked Out Construction suggest that you use a borate solution to treat the wood. Borate solution can be made by mixing powders that contain boron-based chemicals with water. Borate is harmless to humans and pets. Soaking the wood in borate solution will eliminate the wood's chances of constructing a fungus or insect that can cause the wood to weaken and eventually rot.

Once it has completely dried, the treated panel can be slid back into place by using brute strength and a hammer. Take care to not overly paint or stain the wood. This can cause the tongue and groove to become clogged and make future removal virtually impossible.