Owner-operated · Homeowner guide · Alpharetta
Rot, Termites or Carpenter Bees on Your Alpharetta Deck?Alpharetta · Fulton County
Alpharetta: Something is wrong with your deck, and you are not sure whether water, termites or carpenter bees did it. Owner-operated, with a free written estimate.
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Homeowner guide · Alpharetta
Is it rot, termites or carpenter bees chewing my deck?
You can sort out most of it yourself with a screwdriver, a flashlight and a phone camera, and I will walk you through it.
- Breno, the owner, measures and writes your estimate
- 10+ years of combined team experience
- General liability insurance
- 5.0 stars from 31 Google reviews as of Nov 2026
- Real before-and-after photos from our own jobs
Alpharetta
Start With What the Surface Tells You
Walk the deck slowly in daylight before you touch anything. Rot shows up where water sits: around screw heads, at board ends, under planters, and along the low edge where a downspout drains. The wood looks dark, a little fuzzy or cracked across the grain, and it can smell musty. Insect damage looks different. Carpenter bees leave neat round holes, and termites work inside the wood, so the surface can look fine. Decks around Windward and Broadlands have often been standing a long time, so some wear is normal. What you want to find is wear that does not match the rest of the deck.
Look at the underside too if you can reach it. Check where boards meet joists and where rail posts attach to the frame. Sagging, a spongy bounce underfoot, or a board that dips between supports points to trouble below the surface. Gray boards are not rotten just because they are gray, since sun and rain turn wood silver long before it fails. Dark, damp and crumbly is the pattern that worries me, not faded. If all you find is a faded surface with no soft spots, that is a staining job, not an emergency.
Alpharetta
The Screwdriver Probe Test
Grab an ordinary screwdriver and press the tip into the suspect wood, then try a sound spot for comparison. Sound wood resists, and the tip barely marks it. Rotted wood gives way, feels soft like wet cardboard, and often pulls out in stringy or crumbly chunks. Probe along the grain at board ends, around screw heads and at the bottom of posts. Do not stab hard at the ledger or pry on rails that might be loose. If the tip sinks in easily, stop and mark the spot with painter's tape so you can show it to us or anyone else who looks.
Insect damage probes differently. Where termites have been feeding, the wood can sound hollow when you tap it with the screwdriver handle, and a probe may break into thin channels like layered paper, sometimes packed with dirt. Rot tends to be wet and soft all the way through. Carpenter bee wood is usually solid except for the tunnel itself. Dry, tunneled wood suggests something lives in it, while dark, soft, damp wood with no tunnels suggests rot. Both can show up on the same deck, because damp wood invites trouble of every kind. Do not worry about naming it perfectly, because good photos let us sort it out.
How it works
Five steps. No surprises.
Call, text, or send the form
Tell us what is going on: a new deck, a repair, or “not sure yet.” We reply the same day.
Free on-site visit
Breno looks at the deck or the yard himself, measures, and goes over your options with you.
Written estimate
Scope, materials and price come in writing, so you know the plan before anything starts.
Schedule and permits
We agree on a start date and confirm any city, county or HOA requirement for your address first.
Build and final walk-through
Breno is on the job, and we go over the finished work with you before we call it done.
Real B&T work
Photos from real jobs
Real photos from B&T projects in North Georgia, not necessarily from Alpharetta.
Alpharetta
Carpenter Bees and Termites: Telltale Signs
Carpenter bees drill clean, perfectly round holes into rails, fascia, the underside of boards and exposed beams. Under a hole you may find a small pile of coarse sawdust and a yellowish streak on the wood. Large bees hovering around the deck in warm weather are another clue, especially the males that dart at you. Inside, the tunnel turns and runs along the grain. One season of bees seldom threatens the structure, but the same wood reused season after season adds up. Birds sometimes tear at the wood to reach larvae, which makes the damage look worse than the first small hole did.
Termites are quieter and sneakier. Look for thin mud tubes climbing posts or concrete piers, discarded wings near a door or window, and wood that looks sound outside but feels papery inside. Termite trouble tends to start where wood touches soil or stays damp, so post bases and low framing deserve a close look. Shady, tree-lined yards are common in Alpharetta, and mulch piled against a post can hold moisture and hide problems. A deck behind a home near downtown Alpharetta is no different. If you see mud tubes or wings, call a pest professional first. We handle the wood repair afterward.
Alpharetta
Why the Frame and Ledger Matter More
Surface boards are the part you see, but they are the easiest part to swap. The frame is what actually holds people up: the joists, beams, posts and the ledger, which is the board that ties the deck to the house. A bad deck board is an afternoon of work. A soft ledger or a rotted post base is a safety problem. Water gets in where the ledger meets the house wall, stays there, and the damage can hide behind the boards for a long time with nothing visible from above. That is why the first place I look on any deck is the ledger and the framing under it.
Check the joint where the deck meets the house. Stains running down the siding, dark streaks, a gap between ledger and wall, rust at the bolts, or flaking flashing all deserve attention. Probe what you can reach from below, gently. Do not climb onto a deck you suspect is failing, and keep kids and guests off it until someone has looked. If the frame is sound, repairs stay small. If it is not, we talk about replacement.
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Alpharetta
What to Photograph and What Comes Next
Photos make this easier for everyone. Take a wide shot of the whole deck, then a medium shot of each problem area, then close-ups with a coin or pen beside the damage for scale. Shoot the ledger from below and from the side, the post bases, any holes with sawdust, any mud tubes, and your probe marks. Use daylight on top and a flashlight underneath. Write down when you took them, and take a fresh set later if something seems to be spreading. A clear set of pictures often tells us whether we are dealing with surface wear or something deeper.
Next, Breno comes out, looks at the frame in person, and we give you a free written estimate for repair or replacement. Permits depend on your address, so confirm with the City of Alpharetta through its permitting portal, or with the county. Homeowner associations vary too, so check with yours before work starts, and tell us your neighborhood at the start so we can plan the approval timeline with you. We also check stream buffers and specimen trees while we plan, since those can come into play on some lots.
Straight answers · Alpharetta
Alpharetta homeowner questions
How can I tell rot from termite damage quickly?
Probe it with a screwdriver. Rot is usually damp, dark and soft throughout, and crumbles in chunks. Termite damage can feel dry and papery, sound hollow when tapped, and show thin tunnels, sometimes packed with dirt. Mud tubes on posts or piers are a strong sign of termites. When you cannot tell, photograph it and let us look.
Are carpenter bees a real danger to my deck?
One season of bees seldom hurts the structure, but repeated seasons in the same wood can weaken rails, beams and board undersides. The bigger issue is that holes let water in, and that can start rot. Plugging old holes and finishing the wood properly helps. If the damage is in the frame, have it checked.
Does gray wood mean my deck is rotten?
No. Sun and rain turn wood gray long before it fails, so color alone tells you little. Probe it instead. If the tip barely marks the wood and there are no soft spots, holes or sagging, it likely needs cleaning and a fresh stain, not repair. Dark, damp and spongy spots are the real warning sign.
How do I check the ledger safely?
Stay on the ground or look from below if you can reach it. Look for stains on the siding, rust at the bolts, gaps between the ledger and wall, and flaking flashing. Probe gently with a screwdriver in spots you can reach. Do not climb onto a deck you suspect is weak. Send us photos if anything looks off.
If a few boards are soft, do I need a whole new deck?
Not necessarily. If the frame and ledger are sound, swapping bad boards is often enough. If the joists, beams, posts or ledger are soft, the conversation changes, because the frame carries everything. That is why we look under the deck before we say anything about boards. Breno gives you a straight answer in person.
Do I need a permit to repair or replace my deck in Alpharetta?
That depends on your address and the scope of the work, so confirm with the City of Alpharetta through its permitting portal, or with the county. When a project touches a specimen tree or sits near a stream buffer, extra review can come into play. We tell you what your address needs up front.
Does my HOA need to approve deck repairs?
It depends on your community and your association, so check with them before work begins. Some communities have architectural review for outdoor structures. Tell us your neighborhood at the start, and we plan the approval timeline with you instead of leaving you to sort it out alone while the weather turns.
Do you work outside Alpharetta?
Yes. We build, repair, replace and restore decks, porches, rails and stairs across north Atlanta, including Milton, Roswell and Johns Creek. Breno visits in person, looks at the frame and the ledger, and gives you a free written estimate. Tell us where you are and what you found, and send photos.
Verified Google reviews
What the neighbors are saying
These are verified Google reviews from B&T customers.
★★★★★
“Outstanding service! Breno is knowledgeable, honest, and takes pride in his work. It's hard to find a company this reliable these days.”
★★★★★
“Breno and his team exceeded our expectations. They were organized, efficient, and truly cared about delivering a high-quality result. We couldn't be happier.”
Who’s doing the work
About B&T Properties
You deal with the owner. Breno visits, quotes and oversees the work, and the crew brings more than ten years of deck experience between them. B&T carries General Liability insurance, and Alpharetta is part of our regular service area.
Upgrades
Add-ons to consider
Thinking beyond the basics? Mention any of these at your free estimate and Breno will go over what makes sense for your home.
Cover or screens
Add a roof over part of the deck, or screen it in for shade and fewer bugs.
Multi-level layouts
A split-level layout that works with the lay of your lot instead of fighting it.
Stairs and landings
Stairs that are easier to use: more width, a mid-level landing, or a better path to the yard.
Lighting
Stair and post lights that make evenings outside safer and nicer.
Written warranty
1-year workmanship warranty
Workmanship warranty: one year from the day we complete the work, in writing. Faults that come from our labor are repaired at no charge. Not included: manufacturer material defects, normal wear and tear, weather, misuse, no maintenance, repairs by other parties. Submit claims in writing.
Free written estimate
Tell Breno about your Alpharetta deck — free and in writing.
No call center, no sales rep — the person who answers is the person who does the work.