Most deck failures start at the foundation.
Traditional footings poured in concrete shift with seasonal freeze-thaw cycles, causing posts to heave, boards to warp, and stairs to pull away from the structure. In Canada’s climate, that movement isn't occasional. It's annual.
The deeper problem: once a concrete footing fails, the fix is expensive and invasive. You're looking at excavation, demolished landscaping, and weeks off your project calendar.
There's also timing. Concrete requires warm temperatures to cure properly, which limits when you can break ground. If you want your deck ready for the first weekend of summer, a concrete pour in early spring is a gamble.
