Just realized my DIY patio table is falling apart after 6 months

Honestly, I built this cedar table back in April using plans I found online and it looked great for a while but now the legs are wobbling and the screws are pulling out. Tbh I think I skipped the waterproofing step and that rainstorm last month did a number on the joints. Has anyone here salvaged a project like this without completely rebuilding it?

3 comments

3 Comments

anthonyrivera1d ago

Yo that REAL bummer man. I've been there with a bench that started wobbling after a wet season and it's a heartbreaker for sure. @williams.luna is right that cedar's soft spots just get worse once moisture seeps in, but I've had some luck digging out the rotted wood around the screw holes with a small chisel, then packing in waterproof wood filler and letting it cure for a full day before redrilling. I also use stainless steel exterior screws with a thick coat of exterior glue on them before driving in, and that held my leg joints steady for another year before I finally gave up and rebuilt. The angled pilot hole trick works okay but you're basically gambling on how deep the rot goes, so check the wood around each hole by poking it with a nail first.

jana5092d ago

Cedar's soft so once water gets in the screw holes just get bigger and bigger. You could try drilling new pilot holes at a slight angle and use longer screws to grab fresh wood. Some wood filler in the old holes might help too but honestly it's a bandaid fix.

williams.luna1d ago

That angled pilot hole trick works better than most people think, but how long does it usually hold up before the cedar starts rotting around the new hole too? I've seen guys swear by epoxy injections into the old holes before redrilling, but that seems like a lot of work for a minor fix. What's your experience with how fast that moisture spreads once the wood's already compromised?