Correcting dryer vent blocked by deck

I'm looking for suggestions on how to fix this. Changing the exit location for the dryer vent is much more difficult than correcting the problem in the pic.

The previous owners allowed the deck to be placed were it blocks the dryer vent. Should I cut the dryer vent off flush with the siding and make some kind of wire screen cover or should I cut out the entire joint and reinforce each end of the joists with something like a 4 x 4 post to the ground?

 

Sorry but I think the vent needs to be moved (and the guy who built the deck tarred and feathered...).

 

Move the vent.
How are you going to get footings under the deck now to hold up supports ?

 

Thanks for the input. I will reevaluate moving the vent.

The issue with moving the vent is, the dryer is located in the center of the house on the main floor. It is located directly over a furnace. The furnace butts up against a block wall in the basement. The venting is in a difficult to access area within the ducting. The current vent comes out of there and runs parallel between two floor joists. I would have to make some kind of a bend with pipe to get over the joist to another open section between the floor joists.

I think I can add footings from the area I have created by removing a few top boards.

 

Look at this another way. Pretend you never had a dryer. But now you bought one for the first time. Where would you put the dryer and the vent? You certainly would not put it where it is now. Plug the old vent and put in a new one at a more accessible place. And don't tell me you can't. Remember, you never had a dryer before and what if you were having it installed? Where do you think the installers would vent it? That's right, at the wall were the dryer is located. Straight and simple.

 

I agree with Norm201. "Abandon in place" the current vent and ducting, unless it is in the way of the new,seal it as needed, and run new ducting to a more favorable exit location.

 

Also consider putting the dryer in a better place. It should never have been in the center of the house.