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If you spend any amount of time in the backyard, you probably appreciate having a deck. The deck can be a central focus of our outdoor lives, with people enjoying them in almost all parts of the world.

Along with being a great place to have a barbecue or to visit, they can add a lot of curb appeal to your home as well. They might also be hiding a secret that most homeowners are unaware of, but one Instagram user has blown the whistle and it is blowing people’s minds. The problem is, many homes have their decking installed upside down.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

If you used composite deck boards to build your outdoor living space, you might have noticed that there are ridges on one side but the other side is flat. Many people will install the boards with the ridges up, thinking that it provides extra grip.

Photo: Pixabay

In reality, the ridges help with air circulation and keep the boards from rotting. If you have the ridges exposed, your decking is installed upside down.

This may make you wonder, is it really a big problem?

Photo: Pixabay

According to Gripclad.co.uk, installing the decking with the ridges up is common, but it can lead to some serious problems. It doesn’t provide you with extra traction but rather, could lead to water pooling in the grooves and wood rot. Installing the decking properly, on the other hand, helps to extend the lifespan of the deck.

Now you know.