Restoring a Three Level Deck in Prospect, KY

This wasn’t our biggest deck project. It became one of our crew’s favorites.

Our client loved the space, but decades-old decking, loose railings and weathered posts needed attention across all three levels.

The plan was a refresh. Removing the old boards revealed a deeper story.

Restored middle platform with new wood decking and railings beside the stairs to the upper deck in Prospect

The space they wanted back

Taking Up Decades of Wear

The old boards had been in place for decades. We began on the upper deck and worked down through the middle and lower levels, removing the decking to reach the structure beneath.

Weathered middle-level decking and built-in bench seating around a patio table before the Prospect restoration — Before: the middle level, with its built-in seating.

Crew member prying up old upper-level deck boards, exposing the joists beneath — Demolition begins on the upper level.

What the Old Boards Were Hiding

Several joists were badly deteriorated, and years of movement had left parts of the frame uneven.

New boards alone would have left an uneven floor—and hidden the problems underneath.

We stopped installation, showed the homeowners what we found and agreed on the structural repairs before moving forward.

Old middle-level joists exposed after deck board removal, with a level, string line and the open lower deck beneath — The middle-level framing exposed, before the repairs.

Exposed upper-level joists and removed wood during demolition of the damaged framing — Opening up the affected upper-level framing.

Old wood joists and decking viewed from beneath the upper deck beside the brick home — Before: the aging structure beneath the boards.

Good work starts underneath

Repairing the Structure First

We replaced the affected upper-level joists while keeping the serviceable rim joists, ledger, beams and posts. The middle level needed similar repairs on a smaller scale.

Before new decking could go down, the frame needed to be sound and properly aligned. These structural deck repairs came first.

New joists and blocking; the serviceable perimeter framing remains.

Long view beneath the upper deck showing new joists, rows of blocking and installed deck boards over existing supports — The repaired upper-level frame, viewed from below.

Partly installed middle-level decking, exposed framing and wood posts awaiting the new railings — Middle-level decking in progress, before the railings.

Repair. Align. Then cover.
The upper frame from below, and work progressing on the middle level.

Crew member on a ladder fastening blocking between new pressure treated joists under the upper deck — Adding blocking between the new joists.

A detail beneath every board

Adding Support Between the Joists

We added blocking where needed throughout the deck to strengthen the framing and help keep it supported and aligned.

The short pieces fitted between the joists are blocking. Here, Javi is installing them from below.

Now, the New Decking

With the structural repairs complete, we returned to the transformation the homeowners had first imagined.

New pressure treated boards went down across all three levels, from the upper deck to the middle platform and finally the lower level. Board by board, the space began to feel different.

New boards go down after the framing repairs.

More room for the way they live

Opening Up the Middle Level

The homeowner no longer wanted the built-in seating. We removed it, expanded this section by approximately 1½ to 2 feet and made room for a more open layout.

New pressure treated posts, top rails and balusters framed the expanded area. The middle level received the most extensive railing work of the restoration.

Three crew members assembling new wood railing sections on the middle deck, with materials and offcuts nearby — The crew building the new middle-level railings.

Nearly completed middle-level wood railings with lumber offcuts and bundled balusters on the new deck boards — Railing work in progress on the middle level.

Repairing What Needed Attention

The upper railings didn’t need a complete rebuild. We secured loose components, repaired sections of the top rail and replaced damaged balusters with new pressure treated pieces.

The stairs were repaired and reinforced where needed, with replacement top rails to finish the work. Serviceable parts stayed in place.

Fresh upper-level decking and selected new wood balusters beside a dark wicker chair and the brick bay window — The upper deck after the targeted railing repairs.

Fresh upper-level deck boards before the remaining top rail and baluster replacements, with a broom against the railing — Decking complete; the upper railing repairs still to come.

Existing brown deck stairs with newly replaced wood top rails leading to the restored middle level — The repaired staircase with new top rails.

Crew member applying cosmetic wood filler to an existing support post beneath the restored deck — A final cosmetic repair to an existing post.

The Small Details Matter, Too

On existing posts that remained serviceable, we filled visible cracks with exterior wood filler and added small base trim where needed to improve their appearance before the homeowner’s planned finish.

These were cosmetic finishing repairs. The structural work had already been addressed separately.

The result · Prospect, Kentucky