Does Ivy protect my deck from weather/nature or does it hurt it?

I have a house on a severe slope and so we have a huge deck with very tall support posts. If I let Ivy grow up the posts to the deck, will this protect the wood from weather/nature, or will it hurt it?... or maybe neither?

Does Ivy protect my deck from weather/nature or does it hurt it?
The ivy holds moisture and it does not let the wood dry after it rains. We bought a house with ivy around the deck and the deck was rotted wherever the ivy was growing.
Reply:Ivy will eventually hurt the deck.As the ivy grows it sinks little anchors into the wood, but the biggest thing is that using ivy on your deck will add alot of moisture to the wood, and the ivy will prevent the moisture from evaporating, and thus causing rot in the wood.It would deffinetly take some years of life out of your deck.
Reply:What Snowy says. If you want to protect your deck, try Thompson's water seal or, if you prefer, a waterproofing stain. Keep the ivy completely away from it.
Reply:Being a ground cover, ivy can act as a stabilizer to the slope and help with preventing erosion. I don't know of any protection it provides except maybe slowing down fading of the wood. If it's covered with ivy, what does that matter? I say treat the wood if you're worried about protection from the elements. I have heard of some types of ivy causing structural damage to homes (as it grows up the brick or wood) because of the clingy runners. Let it grow and keep an eye on it. Don't let it grow uncontrollably.
Reply:Ivy holds moisture against the wood. If you treat the wood, it might kill the ivy. I would not allow ivy to grow on the deck for this reason. It will probably promote rot. For that matter, any vine may promote rot. Perhaps you can have the ivy grow in large pots and up a trellis in the area of the posts. That way the ivy will not actually touch the wood of the deck.
Reply:Ivy not only holds moisture (respiration happens in all living things) and it's clinging roots damage wood, it also harbors many types of household pests. Rodents will galdly use it as cover from preditors, Ants will nest in it and will "farm aphids" in it to provide food for them. Spiders will live anywhere there is insect prey. The closer you allow them to move to the structure, the more likely they are to invade the interior of the home.



Many states also consider english ivy to be a noxious weed because it easily excapes from plantings and vigorously grows up trees, eventually killing them. Depending on your state laws, they may even be able to force you to remove the ivy. Contact your local county extension office or noxious weed board for more information.