Wooden decking drainage problem

Bumble Bee2

Just wondering if anyone knows if it's a good idea to drill holes for drainage in a wooden garden deck. Does it cause problems with rot? I'm anxious as I just done that to try and get good drainage as the water was just lodging. Now I'm having nightmares that I've just done the wrong thing.

genuine leather

Dont panic bumble bee. Could you post a pic and give a little bit more info.

How big a drill bit did you use?
How many holes were made?
Were the decking boards fitted tight together?

Boards.ie: Niamh

Moved to DIY forum, their charter now applies.

Lex Luthor

better the water passing thro the deck than sitting on it
I drilled some 4mm holes in mine and its fine...deck has been oiled to the death though with Osmo products

Bumble Bee2

I used a small drill bit. The holes will about the width of a pencil or even abit smaller. I drill quite a few in places that the water was lodging. I'm panicking cause I the water that flowed into those holes will not dry up and cause rot.

Bumble Bee2

Hi Genuine leather, I used a small drill bit. The holes will about the width of a pencil or even abit smaller. I drilled quite a few in places that the water was lodging. I'm panicking cause I the water that flowed into those holes will not dry up and cause rot. Yes they were fitted very tightly so as a result when it rains or when I wash it the water just lodges. The decking has a surround which holds the spindles so there is nowhere the water goes to. And I also discovered on one end I have soft matter which I tried to scrape away treat and fill. But I know how this happened as I had a plant that sat in that area for a long time and all the water from watering it probably made it rot.

I'm worried that the little holes might cause moisture under the boards and rot the whole thing. Should I seal them with Ronsel wood sealer?

genuine leather

Hi Bumble bee.
The decking boards are pressure treated and it will take a lot of water and a long time to do any of the damage you are thinking,long term yes, but there is remedial work that can be carried out to fix your problem.With the boards placed tight together,it was not a bad idea of yours to drill a few weep holes to let the water away as lex luthor mentioned, and they always need a bit of yearly tlc to keep in good shape.

Do you feel there is a possibility that the decking can be adjusted(corner posts),only slightly, to create a fall for the rainwater to run off?
There will always be a small amount of water that will sit in the grooves purely because of the profile of the board. Was the decking fixed to a timber joist frame and is there a gap below it?

Bumble Bee2

Thanks you all for the very good advice. This puts my mind at ease. I had bought some wood filler to bock all the holes but I wont do that now.

GreeBo

I'd oil/varnish the holes as depending on the timbers the treatment may not be all the way through...

Also, bigger holes and less of them would work better. A narrow hole may not drain.

Bumble Bee2

Would it be advisable to block these holes as the rot is my biggest fear.

GreeBo

Bumble Bee2 wrote: »

Would it be advisable to block these holes as the rot is my biggest fear.

The bigger they are they less likely they are to have water standing in them.

I'd make them bigger and fill most of them.
For the bigger holes I'd use some form of preservative.