Watching a neighbor's deck collapse in a storm last spring made me triple-check my own joist hangers.

Has anyone else had a project fail that made you change a basic step in your routine?

2 comments

2 Comments

Oh man, that's a scary visual. I read a whole article once about how people skip putting sealant on deck screw heads, and it's a huge deal. Water gets in, rots the wood from the inside out, and the whole thing gets weak. Ever since, I'm that person in the driveway sealing every single one, even though it adds an hour to the job. It just seems like such a tiny step that prevents a massive problem later.

fisher.adam7d ago

Gotta push back on this a bit, @alice336. Pressure treated lumber is already soaked with chemicals to fight rot, and modern deck screws are coated to resist rust. Adding sealant can actually trap moisture against the screw head if it isn't applied perfectly. A lot of builders skip it because they trust the materials to do their job. That extra hour might be better spent making sure the overall structure is sound and water runs off properly. Sometimes the tiny steps are just busy work that doesn't add real value.