Hey guys I am new here but I wanted to ask and get an opinion on this as we aren’t very handy ourselves.
My fiancée and I are finishing a lofted apartment area above a garage. We hired a family friend’s husband as our contractor and so far we haven’t made it far into the process.
He has torn down the old deck and put up a new extended one, which looks okay from what I can tell. However there are a few points on the stairs, especially the bottom step, that have splits in the wood. I am concerned that this may lead to loose boards or repairs needed later on.
Based on my one wood shop class in high school, I didn’t think this looked good, but like I said I am not very handy so I want a second opinion. Is this something I should have them fix or is this to be expected?
You shouldn’t fire your family friends husband.
That’s not going to fall down,it’s not ideal that the wood split, but it’s not anything that can’t be repaired.
You should think about painting or staining the stringers at some point, as pressure treated wood will last much longer after sealing it. I wouldn’t go with the linseed oil others suggested. This is outdoors, and you aren’t going to want to repaint these at all, but paint or stain will probably last 10 years. Everyone wants less maintenance.
The easiest solution is probably just to add additional screws through the top, and to pre-drill them. Glueing the cracks,and adding butyl deck tape wouldn’t be bad either.
Thanks I’ll take this into account, I think whether we continue with him will depend on his willingness to fix this. I appreciate the recommendations on fixing it though and I will be sure to paint/stain after whatever happens.