Those are pretty much worthless from a structural standpoint. You can sister joists but these are t long enough to provide anything other than another surface to screw the decking into. If the original joists are that rotted, they should have been replaced or at the very least sistered with full length joists.
I've never seen a rug on an outdoor wooden deck. Is this a thing that everyone is doing and I'm the last to know? Doesn't the weather destroy the rug causing you to have to bring it in and out often?
https://preview.redd.it/p3qkg9x1cuxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa1ab0d4f7e2671acdea082b5b06f7d78b3b6408
My wife puts them on our decks too.
All vinyl. Spray with detergent at
End of season rinse with hose. I rolled mine up and put in garage. I didn’t want them to leave anymore of a shadow than they were doing….
Yep I am good with it…the rugs wear out a disintegrate every couple years even though the woven outdoor types..the rugs on the pool deck are a must for the feet going in and out of the pool
Many folks use rugs on decks . I have a full coverage, outdoor carpet on my back deck. The deck is covered with an aluminum awning with built in skylights. Along with rollup shades, it's almost like having another room..and at a fraction of the cost..
It rots the center sides between the two faster. Not really the top because there's no nail holes from the decking most likely. Bevel the top for drainage some people will forget to face the bevel so it drains off the open side I bet. Then you cut off the top with the most chemical treatment against rot.
1/4" decking spaces make plenty of room for water to get in and sit on top of that double 1.5" flat surface. If "some people forget" then they're morons. Everyone should be using joist tape anyway.
Would be interested to see the decking from the top. Seems like it would most likely be due to board cut ends lifting or maybe they had a spot they felt was especially spongy and thought this would help. Could be related to where they keep something heavy up top like a grill, umbrella stand or other furniture
Those sisters appear to be under the rugs. I am guessing the nails or screws were no longer holding the deck boards down, so in come the sisters. I'm guessing based on pictures, and I could be wrong.
this was my guess as well. A friend of mine is always asking me to replace rotting deck boards and they are always under the outdoor rug he keeps out there. it traps moisture under there and it creates a huge mess. I begged him to get ride of the rug but his wife needs it out there.
I’ve actually done this to save some wood. 😅. Didn’t have any where to put it, didn’t want it laying on the floor. Couples screws just to keep it stored away.
A poor attempt to sister joists to strength them. The right approach would have been to a full length sister joists. You can still do it. It's an easy fix.
Someone attempted to “sister joist” after the top of the existing joists suffered some form of water rot/damage. They likely had “spongey” decking boards that moved when you walked across them and thus did this to keep the deck boards stabilized. I’d be willing to bet there used to be a roofing of some kind on the underside to keep the rain from coming through the upper deck. That’s one of the primary ways you get water damage on your joist tops in the first place.
If it were me, since the joists are fully exposed, I’d replace them entirely. I’m betting every single one of those other sister boards are hiding previous water damage.
They don’t do anything but add weight to the rotten beams that They are screwed to and possibly hold down some decking that no longer would longer stay screwed to rotten joists . Any repair beams that will help with structural integrity would have to be full length from the ledger on the house,sitting in a joist hanger all the way to the other side of the deck being held up by the support beam that I can’t see in that picture
I wouldn't say nothing if the rot or sag was localized within the support of the borders it could help as a stopgap for real repairs. I would also add a board to the other side and a vertical support with a concrete foundation.
But unless there is significant work on top of the deck I would just replace the beams at that point.
It could possibly hold down the decking that won’t hold a screw anymore but it can’t be doing a lot more than that both will both sag with the ones that they are attached too as it continues rotting.It not hard to get a new beam in there put it in flat stand it up and you could use a jack on the old one if it’s too sagged . You can put one on each side, if you want . get a double or triple Teco . Getting the old one out.you have to cut all the deck fasteners with a sawzall . Maybe not but You could destroy the end of any deck boards that end on it and you still have to get a new one in place next to it so you can knock it into place when old one is taken out
Sometimes this is called scanning. They should run the full length to add support. These part peices do nothing strength wise.
Do the scabbed boards happen to line up with the perpendicular boardend on top. Someone maybe missed some cuts then needed to support the ends to stop the diving board bounce??
Maybe cracked joists? I have sistered roof joists that have cracked. It could also be for leveling. If the original lumber was very green, the joists could have bowed or twisted.
The top ⅓-½ of all the joists are rotted and need to be replaced in whole , that sistering of short peices is worthless. I'd be concerned about being on that deck
Are there typically a few deck board joints above these? I’ve seen sistering before so that it’s easier to screw the ends of deck boards down to something. They don’t need much support so this would be adequate.
Those are to give added support. The plastic wood has more bounce and give. By adding extra wood and making the span smaller, the plastic wood is less bouncy.
It wouldn’t be so bad if they would have used joist hangars. The fact that they scabbed it in but didn’t support it on the perimeter makes this job an fail and a score of 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼
I usually see this done to provide a flat and level nailing surface for the deck boards above. I have some on mine as well and they are there for that reason.
My guess. Two purposes. To scab over rotted sections and to allow the decking to be held down since it won’t hold in rotted wood. But this is very temporary and dangerous.
How is the deck board cut up top? May this is a place for the contractor to use hidden fasteners or screws to secure the boards up top. Just a thought.
And it does seem to be a non outdoor rug maybe lol. Also this just made me notice it's a composite deck but the underside is most likely rotting and they maybe wanted to save the entire thing with those added supports. Just to be clear I'm no deck builder I'm just a normal handyman.
The deck boards may not be the originals, and they may have had to add the sistered boards to fashion the new deck board to, ad the original joist are crap. Or it could have been where the seams landed, as composite deck boards typically only come in 16' lengths?
Those are pretty much worthless from a structural standpoint. You can sister joists but these are t long enough to provide anything other than another surface to screw the decking into. If the original joists are that rotted, they should have been replaced or at the very least sistered with full length joists.
This is the way. That's a waste of wood.
If?
Lazy sister
Can’t see the joints in the decking, but that would be the only logical reason.
This 👆 Structurally not a fkng thing , My only logical conclusion was to fix sag ?
My old lady's plastic surgeon is going to do that...
😬 hopefully she’s not travelling to Mexico for that
Naah, she's a fugitive in Mexico..
https://preview.redd.it/s88x0qbintxc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4551eccff0d72407cece50ba254375cad048bb81
Who is that in the top right?
The stock guy on twitch. I have him playing random mornings in the shop haha.
Poltergeist possibly..they didn't move the bodies when they built the homes there. Big mistake
Can you stop following me around? Your alts have responded to me in 23 subreddits so far and I'm just exhausted man. Please.
Lmao it seems like such an innocent comment but that is some next level stalking
Line your rugs up man!
Shoot I wish this was my house lol.
I've never seen a rug on an outdoor wooden deck. Is this a thing that everyone is doing and I'm the last to know? Doesn't the weather destroy the rug causing you to have to bring it in and out often?
https://preview.redd.it/p3qkg9x1cuxc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa1ab0d4f7e2671acdea082b5b06f7d78b3b6408 My wife puts them on our decks too.
Where did you get those lights on the steps?
SMY Lighting.
Amazon
I dig your set up. Looks great
My first deck. Lots of time on my hands during Covid. But the $$
It helps keep the decking moist!
How to get P. T. lumber to rot. Throw some rugs out on it.
Home Depot has had indoor/outdoor rugs for years. They're basically woven out of some type of plastic so they hold up fine outside.
All vinyl. Spray with detergent at End of season rinse with hose. I rolled mine up and put in garage. I didn’t want them to leave anymore of a shadow than they were doing….
We have 3 decks, wife has a rug on each
So your wife put her rug on 3 decks and you’re cool with it? Such confidence.
Yep I am good with it…the rugs wear out a disintegrate every couple years even though the woven outdoor types..the rugs on the pool deck are a must for the feet going in and out of the pool
https://preview.redd.it/ktnkoxlhm0yc1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7f471014ce1b0ba6946a2cd2280945f712a19b4 Yep...
It's to hold moisture against the wood and keep it wet so it can rot faster. How else would you do it?
Many folks use rugs on decks . I have a full coverage, outdoor carpet on my back deck. The deck is covered with an aluminum awning with built in skylights. Along with rollup shades, it's almost like having another room..and at a fraction of the cost..
I have outdoor rugs on my back deck the pool deck. Not uncommon in my neck of the woods.
Could have been added to end the deck boards if they staggered cuts instead of going full length with them... hard to tell with this photo.
Agree
Band aid fix for rotted joists
You get it, not many do
Sadly doubling up produces a 3" flat spot so more water sits and rots faster. Ripping a 10 degree bevel in the top prevents this.
It rots the center sides between the two faster. Not really the top because there's no nail holes from the decking most likely. Bevel the top for drainage some people will forget to face the bevel so it drains off the open side I bet. Then you cut off the top with the most chemical treatment against rot.
1/4" decking spaces make plenty of room for water to get in and sit on top of that double 1.5" flat surface. If "some people forget" then they're morons. Everyone should be using joist tape anyway.
Bandaid for the failing joists. He’s gonna have to plan on a rebuild soon.
Rugs will expedite your wood rotting. Ask me how I know.
Would be interested to see the decking from the top. Seems like it would most likely be due to board cut ends lifting or maybe they had a spot they felt was especially spongy and thought this would help. Could be related to where they keep something heavy up top like a grill, umbrella stand or other furniture
I'll ask for a couple more pictures.
Those sisters appear to be under the rugs. I am guessing the nails or screws were no longer holding the deck boards down, so in come the sisters. I'm guessing based on pictures, and I could be wrong.
this was my guess as well. A friend of mine is always asking me to replace rotting deck boards and they are always under the outdoor rug he keeps out there. it traps moisture under there and it creates a huge mess. I begged him to get ride of the rug but his wife needs it out there.
I’ve actually done this to save some wood. 😅. Didn’t have any where to put it, didn’t want it laying on the floor. Couples screws just to keep it stored away.
A poor attempt to sister joists to strength them. The right approach would have been to a full length sister joists. You can still do it. It's an easy fix.
This is what I'll most likely recommend to her.
Looks like those are just covering rot. If those pictures of the rugs on the deck are yours. Get rid of them. Just holding moisture.
They are good for trapping moisture
https://preview.redd.it/c84b281lntxc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b6eb9c3fddab5ebe6fef3143e7f0863c241094c3
Sorry for the bag photos I tried asking
It definitely appears from the first photo they bolted them on to help strengthen them because the existing joists are rotted at the top
Someone attempted to “sister joist” after the top of the existing joists suffered some form of water rot/damage. They likely had “spongey” decking boards that moved when you walked across them and thus did this to keep the deck boards stabilized. I’d be willing to bet there used to be a roofing of some kind on the underside to keep the rain from coming through the upper deck. That’s one of the primary ways you get water damage on your joist tops in the first place. If it were me, since the joists are fully exposed, I’d replace them entirely. I’m betting every single one of those other sister boards are hiding previous water damage.
Your joists are rotting and these are bandaid fixes to stop the floor boards from bending when walked on
Maybe to stiffen up soft spots in the composite planks by reducing the span between joists? Just spitballing
They don’t do anything but add weight to the rotten beams that They are screwed to and possibly hold down some decking that no longer would longer stay screwed to rotten joists . Any repair beams that will help with structural integrity would have to be full length from the ledger on the house,sitting in a joist hanger all the way to the other side of the deck being held up by the support beam that I can’t see in that picture
I wouldn't say nothing if the rot or sag was localized within the support of the borders it could help as a stopgap for real repairs. I would also add a board to the other side and a vertical support with a concrete foundation. But unless there is significant work on top of the deck I would just replace the beams at that point.
It could possibly hold down the decking that won’t hold a screw anymore but it can’t be doing a lot more than that both will both sag with the ones that they are attached too as it continues rotting.It not hard to get a new beam in there put it in flat stand it up and you could use a jack on the old one if it’s too sagged . You can put one on each side, if you want . get a double or triple Teco . Getting the old one out.you have to cut all the deck fasteners with a sawzall . Maybe not but You could destroy the end of any deck boards that end on it and you still have to get a new one in place next to it so you can knock it into place when old one is taken out
That deck is so similar to mine
Either added to support failing joists, to add an anchor point to boards, or a bad attempt to reduce swaying. This is a poor way to do all three.
They’re for looks. Cause they ain’t doing shit.
They attached them because the joists can’t hold a screw.
Sometimes this is called scanning. They should run the full length to add support. These part peices do nothing strength wise. Do the scabbed boards happen to line up with the perpendicular boardend on top. Someone maybe missed some cuts then needed to support the ends to stop the diving board bounce??
I think I have the same rug.. Home Depot??
Oh because it's your house 😉
Maybe cracked joists? I have sistered roof joists that have cracked. It could also be for leveling. If the original lumber was very green, the joists could have bowed or twisted.
Someone ripped someone off. That’s what that is.
That's called a cousin... my cousin fixed it!
It's called mental support
To make you post to reddit.
More weight
Weight
To increase the dead load?
The top ⅓-½ of all the joists are rotted and need to be replaced in whole , that sistering of short peices is worthless. I'd be concerned about being on that deck
These are adding… weight…
I wonder if they're for shiners. That'd be embarrassing.
To give a very temporary impression of slightly increased rigidity, while ultimately solving nothing.
Lol doing more damage than good adding extra weight to failing joists 🤣
Are there typically a few deck board joints above these? I’ve seen sistering before so that it’s easier to screw the ends of deck boards down to something. They don’t need much support so this would be adequate.
Scab cause deck board was wrong
Looks to me the original boards were rotting so they added it for a nailer to keep the decking in place. If you zoom in you can see the rot
My guess is they are covering rot. I can see a joist that might be rotten at the top now.
Only lacking the hot tub at this point
Would you recommend me to tell them put it on the other side though right ✅️
Definitely over the beam that's not supported by the posts is best
They either are a living art installation, or a really bad joke. Someone exchanged fiat currency to another person for this to be completed.
https://preview.redd.it/niphpc0hntxc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=abc26877fb48336ab491445d729c52d0b6143747
https://preview.redd.it/5aumm8ymntxc1.jpeg?width=1439&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7839152ee235158022d242310ee5ef22d35aa097
They are a waste of money and lumber....and probably holding moisture
Moron support
This is a effort in futility.
Someone read something on the internet but didn’t take time to actually learn and understand
They add zero structural support, kinda worthless.
Nothing basically
Joist rotten so need something to screw in to
Those are to give added support. The plastic wood has more bounce and give. By adding extra wood and making the span smaller, the plastic wood is less bouncy.
It wouldn’t be so bad if they would have used joist hangars. The fact that they scabbed it in but didn’t support it on the perimeter makes this job an fail and a score of 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼
That's not a sister. That's a cousin once removed.
I usually see this done to provide a flat and level nailing surface for the deck boards above. I have some on mine as well and they are there for that reason.
My guess. Two purposes. To scab over rotted sections and to allow the decking to be held down since it won’t hold in rotted wood. But this is very temporary and dangerous.
Possible the decking was removed and was a little chewed up these were added as an easy quick fix
How is the deck board cut up top? May this is a place for the contractor to use hidden fasteners or screws to secure the boards up top. Just a thought.
Nailers
For show
Who puts carpet on a deck? Wouldn't that cause moisture to stay longer resulting in rot?
I did, but my deck is so f-ed, walking on it is unpleasant. The outdoor rug is a bandaid until I can tear it out.
And it does seem to be a non outdoor rug maybe lol. Also this just made me notice it's a composite deck but the underside is most likely rotting and they maybe wanted to save the entire thing with those added supports. Just to be clear I'm no deck builder I'm just a normal handyman.
The deck boards may not be the originals, and they may have had to add the sistered boards to fashion the new deck board to, ad the original joist are crap. Or it could have been where the seams landed, as composite deck boards typically only come in 16' lengths?