TV's Deck Co.
What counts as a deck emergency?
If any part of your deck moves, sags, cracks or pulls away when it shouldn't, treat it as urgent. A deck can look fine from the yard and still be close to failing, so these are the signs to act on right away:
- Stairs pulling away from the deck, cracked stringers, or a step that broke
- A railing that's loose, leaning, or missing a section
- The deck pulling away from the house, or a gap opening where it attaches
- Boards that cracked or gave way underfoot
- Sagging, bouncing or a noticeable lean
- Posts that are rotted, cracked, or sinking at the footing
- Storm damage: fallen limbs or trees, wind damage, or water washing out around the posts
What to do right now
Until someone has looked at it, assume the damaged area can't hold weight.
- Keep everyone off it, including kids and pets. Lock doors that open onto the deck and block the stairs.
- Don't stand on a damaged section to move a grill or furniture off it.
- Take photos from somewhere safe, like the yard or a window. They help us understand the problem quickly, and they help with insurance.
- If a tree or power line is involved, stay away and call 911 or your power company first.
- Don't try to jack up or prop a sagging deck yourself. A deck under strain can shift suddenly.
- Call or text (843) 612-6411 and send your photos.
How urgent repairs work with us
Call or text and tell us it's urgent. Send photos if you can. Safety problems like failing stairs, loose railings, or a deck pulling away from the house go to the front of our schedule. We'll tell you when we can be there, anywhere from Little River to Georgetown.
- We look at it and tell you straight whether it's safe to use and what it needs.
- You get a written price for the repair before any work starts.
- We repair or rebuild. If the frame is sound, we fix the damaged section. If rot or storm damage reached the framing, we'll explain why a rebuild is the safer choice.
Storm and hurricane damage
Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and the Grand Strand also gets strong summer thunderstorms and nor'easters. After a storm, check your deck before anyone uses it. Look for loose or missing railings, lifted boards, posts that have shifted, and damage where the deck attaches to the house.
If you're filing an insurance claim, photograph the damage before anything is moved or cleaned up. We'll give you a written estimate for the repair that you can include with your claim. Whether storm damage is covered depends on your policy, so check with your insurer.
Why decks fail on the coast
Most sudden deck failures start with slow damage nobody noticed. Near the ocean, the usual causes are:
- Rot where the deck attaches to the house. Water gets trapped behind the board that connects the deck to the house, and it's one of the most dangerous places for a deck to fail.
- Rusted fasteners and connectors. Salt air corrodes nails, screws and metal hardware faster than inland.
- Posts and footings that weren't sized or protected for wet, sandy soil.
- Age. Older decks were often built before today's building codes.
Catching these early turns an emergency into a routine repair. If your deck isn't failing yet but you've noticed soft boards or rust, see deck repair & replacement.
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