This deck was about to rot apart. The joists were sagging and rotting. The deck boards on top were rotting through. Even some of the posts were rotting from the top down. We replaced the rotten posts and replaced all the joists. We clad all the posts in PVC for low maintenance. We also covered each new joist so that it would shed water and not rot from the top down as is common. The deck and railings are all composite lumber that will not rot.