Deck Restoration & Re-Decking in Canmore & the Bow Valley

What deck restoration is - and what it isn't

Restoration is the right call when your deck's substructure - piles, beams, joists, ledger - is structurally sound, but the surface boards, fasteners, and railings have aged out. Instead of demolishing and rebuilding from grade, we strip the existing decking, expose the frame, inspect every connection, sister or replace any joists that have deflected or rotted, then install a brand-new deck surface and a code-current railing system on top of the existing structure.

The result is a deck that looks and performs like new construction, but at 30–50% lower cost and roughly half the build time. It's also the most common path for upgrading from pressure-treated boards to cedar, larch, or capped composite without paying for a full new substructure.

Who this is for - when restoration makes sense

• Deck is 8–15 years old; frame still looks solid but boards are checked, cupped, or rotted
• You want to switch decking materials (PT to cedar, cedar to composite, etc.) without losing the existing footprint
• Piers haven't heaved - the deck is still level and square
• Ledger shows no water damage, no peeling flashing, no rot in the rim joist behind it
• Railings are 36" or non-compliant and need to come up to current Alberta Building Code
• You're prepping the property for sale and want a deck that shows like new

Our process - how restoration runs on site

1. 50-point inspection. Free on-site assessment of frame, ledger, fasteners, piers, and railings. Written report with photos. If the frame doesn't pass, we'll tell you and quote a rebuild instead.
2. Strip and dispose. Remove all decking, old railings, and corroded fasteners. Haul to landfill - included in our fixed quote.
3. Frame remediation. Sister deflected joists with new 2x material and structural screws, replace any compromised members, re-flash the ledger if needed, replace galvanized hangers showing corrosion.
4. New decking install. Lay new boards with stainless or coated structural fasteners (hidden clips for composite/hardwood, face-screwed for softwoods at your preference).
5. Code-current railings and stairs. 42" rail height, 200 lb load capacity, current spindle spacing. Stair treads and stringers replaced if showing wear.
6. Walkthrough and warranty handoff. Final inspection if a permit was pulled, punch-list walkthrough, lifetime workmanship guarantee starts on everything we installed.

Scope options - what you're choosing between

What drives the cost

• New decking material - biggest single lever, ranging from PT at the low end to capped composite at the top.
• Frame condition - every joist needing to be sistered adds $35–60 in materials and labour; rotted ledger replacement adds $800–2,200.
• Railing system - wood pickets are cheapest, aluminum mid-range, glass panels run $220–320/lf.
• Disposal volume - multi-level decks generate 2–3× the haul-away of a single level.
• Stair runs - replacing stringers and treads adds $400–900 per flight depending on rise.

Bow Valley local context - what we look for first

Canmore's 1.2 m frost line and 100+ annual freeze-thaw cycles do most of their damage at the piers and ledger - not at the decking surface. That's why our 50-point inspection focuses on heave-related geometry (is the deck still square and level?), the ledger-to-house connection (any peeling flashing or rim-joist rot?), and the joist hanger inventory (galvanized hangers from the 2000s frequently show heavy corrosion by year ten). If those three checks pass, restoration is almost always the right call. If any one fails - especially the ledger - we recommend a ground-up rebuild because patching a rotted ledger never holds long-term.

Decks built to the 1995 NBCC were sized for 1.9 kPa snow load; the Town of Canmore now requires 2.5 kPa, so on a hot-tub-rated or heavy-use re-deck we frequently add a mid-span beam during restoration to bring the substructure up to current load. For Banff projects, Parks Canada and the Town of Banff treat re-decks differently than new builds - typically lighter permit requirements, but stricter material colour rules we navigate upfront.

Why choose Canmore Deck Builders for restoration

We'll tell you when restoration isn't the right call

Roughly 1 in 4 of the restoration inspections we do come back recommending a full rebuild - usually because the ledger or piers have failed in a way that can't be patched economically. We'd rather lose the quote than sell you a re-deck that has to be torn out in three years.

~25% of restoration inspections come back as "rebuild" recommendations · internal data

Same crew, same standards as new construction

Every restoration job is run by the same lead carpenter who runs our new builds. The fasteners, hardware (Simpson Strong-Tie connectors), and finish work are identical to a ground-up project - you're not getting a "B-team" for a restoration scope.

Lifetime workmanship guarantee on everything we install

The structural elements we add (new joists, new ledger flashing, new railings) carry the same lifetime workmanship guarantee as a new build. The existing frame we're working over isn't covered (we didn't install it), but everything that leaves our truck is.