If the step is too far (icy decks become a problem this time of year and my knees are getting older) add a railing. A pull-in line also helps.
The railing is welded from 1 1/4-inch square tube. It is attached with lag bolts, and the top is reinforced with a 1 1/2-inch steel strap around the piling. The paint has a non-skid finish. About 2 hours of cutting and welding, followed by painting and installation.
I tried to explain this over and over, but the editors always wanted articles on short cuts to fixing a wet deck. Well, injecting epoxy into mush is not a way to fix anything. It's not going to bond, doing a proper repair is more difficult, and now you have all of these holes.
Looked at another way, this is why smearing the surface to be bonded with mud and then working in the rain is not a good way to work with epoxy. It's not OCD to get things clean and dry, it's just ... obvious.
