Decks

After a certain number of years, wood decks need to be replaced. A typical wood deck will last approximately 20 years if it out in the open and not covered by a roof. Today there are many types of decks you could install. Most decks with be supported off of deck blocks or for a more permanent solution, on piers or posts set on pads about 5 feet below grade.

Pressure treated wood is most often used for the supporting part of the deck where it\’s not visible. The decking, trim board, railing and steps is made of pressure treated wood, cedar, or composite material (non–maintenance). Composite materials look great and require very little maintenance. Cedar can be very desirable but it does require sealing and maintenance with staining. Railings can be made of pressure treated, cedar, aluminum, vinyl, or even glass panels. Some people like to leave the bottom of the deck area open while others like it closed off. There is also the option of a stone or interlocking patio at grade level. This can be accomplished by placing a bed of stone dust under or in the case of flagstone; a concrete bed can be used as well.

When it comes to the design of your custom deck, there are many options available to you. Just let us know what you are looking for and we will get done right !

Front Porch Renovation

Notice the before pictures above. There is a rotted ply wood sub-floor and random joists supporting it and a lot of the wood is actually rotten. Some of the joists we had to leave as they were cantilevered to the inside of the house. We structurally beefed up the joist assembly and supported down to existing concrete piers. In order to maintain the historical look of the deck we went with a pine skirting and a porch post repair and pine risers on the step. The whole underside of the deck structure and the decking boards are made out of PTP lumber to resist rot. Complimented with a white vinyl colonial railing, this porch maintains that century old look while being brought up to modern standards.

Floating Deck Renovation

This is a deck that we completely replaced. In this instance multiple deck blocks bearing down on 12” of compacted stone dust support the PTP deck under structure. It was necessary in this instance to float the deck instead of going down below frost with the supports. One major reason was because with this type of installation you can keep the deck closer to the grade. The height of the deck had to come underneath the door openings into the house. The customer chose western red cedar as the finished decking and stair material. Complete with a small rock garden area build within the deck, the deck also supports a garden shed. The shed was removed for construction and re-installed after the job was completed. This deck provides a great place to enjoy the outdoors without going to the cottage and can be utilized every day of the week.

Balcony Renovation