Professional installers report that decking installed during the covid lockdown is now having to be replaced. 

A rush to build decks during lockdown – combined with low-quality products, supply shortages and inexperienced installers – has left some homeowners facing unexpected replacement costs just a few years later. 

Jason Schellenberg, of London-based Oilcanfinish Outdoor Living, says his company has seen a noticeable rise in enquiries from homeowners whose decks were installed during the lockdown years. 

“We’re now replacing decks that are barely four years old. In many cases the boards have warped, faded unevenly or become unsafe. But when we take them up, the real problem is often underneath.

“We often find inadequate support frames, joists spaced too far apart, Class 2 treated timber – which is meant for internal use – that’s already starting to rot, and poor quality, interior grade fixings which aren’t designed for outdoor use.”

Josh Tolley, a TrexPro installer covering England’s north west, has encountered similar issues:  

“We’re seeing decks where boards have been butted too tightly together with no allowance for expansion, or where fixings are incorrect or inconsistent. In some cases, there’s been no consideration of ventilation beneath the deck, which accelerates structural problems.

“Loose boards, movement underfoot, protruding fixings and degraded subframes can all make a deck unsafe. Homeowners are often shocked that something marketed as ‘low-maintenance’ has deteriorated so quickly.” 

Lee Heitzman, UK and Ireland market manager for Trex, says its network of TrexPro installers has shared what it describes as a “rogue’s gallery” of images showing failed decks installed during the pandemic boom – including boards that have surfaces that have stained or faded dramatically and substructures that were never designed to support long-term use.  

Heitzman says:

“The pandemic created unprecedented demand for outdoor living spaces. Unfortunately, that demand also led to shortcuts in some cases – whether through inexperienced installers or sub-standard materials entering the market.

“Installers should give careful consideration to how they’ll construct the subframe, how to handle ventilation and what warranties come with the product they’re using. A well-built deck should last decades, not a handful of years. Doing the right research upfront can save homeowners thousands in replacement costs later.” 

Images of some of the dodgy decks and inadequate subframes the installers have encountered.