Upper Deck

A few months ago, The Handy Home Pro posted a split- level basement and bathroom repair/rem in a post titled; "Back to Normal". The Cranberry Twp home featured in that post experienced a pin-hole leak in the copper water line feeding the lower- level bathroom. During that repair, it was discovered that there was even more significant water damage to the focus area than anticipated, stemming from water entering the home from the exterior. This may have never been discovered without the pin-hole leak occurring, which resulted in opening the walls and realizing a larger issue was looming.

While the interior damage was mitigated and repaired, the root of the problem could not be addressed until warmer weather and the absence of snow and ice. Upon further investigation, we discovered that the front porch (deck) was improperly attached to the home and was slowly separating from the front of the house. This resulted in water going behind the sagging deck ledger (which did not have proper flashing or sealing) and deteriorating the exterior sheathing. The deterioration ate through the home and into it's interior. The opening caused by the water damage then created an easy entrance for pests looking to get warm.

Once the ledger repair was underway, it was apparent that the entire, existing deck was now deteriorating, sagging, and pulling away from the house. This left the home owner with little few options other than replacing the entire deck. While the deck was small, its replacement required extensive work to be done to repair the water damage to the front of the home. So, the damaged portions of the home's exterior were repaired and the once infiltrated area is now 100% water-tight, sealed, flashed, and finished properly.

A new deck ledger was installed, properly secured, and an all-new deck was constructed. The home owner can rest easy, knowing that the residence is now water tight and a sturdy, long- lasting, proper deck is in place! All that is left is for the owner to finish the landscaping (as the bricks are only temporary) and stain the structure with a color of their choice.

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AFTER: