Materials And Techniques

Footings:
All of our footings are poured below frost level on solid ground to assure least settling. We'll use piers with raised metal bracket braces to keep posts elevated from the ground as well as to provide lateral support. When decks higher than four feet off the ground are built, we use only heavy-duty column base supports raised off the ground in concrete columns. This gives your deck increased lateral support and stability, as well as the assurance that these brackets won't rust off.

Structural Materials:
All of the structural components to build your deck will be out of ground contact rated pressure treated lumber rated for a 40-year life span in the dirt. Of course raised out of the dirt the life span increases. When we cut these materials we always treat the ends with and end cut solution to further extend the life of the product and to maintain the manufactures warranty.

Decking Materials:
As you will see below, we’ll encourage you to get the best materials for your situation. Our experience is that Trex will give you the most for the least and has a good manufactures warranty to go with it. Most of our customers (80%) choose this; however, we have a variety of decking to choose from.

Railings:
There is no end to the possibilities we can provide here. We prefer to use all clear cedar materials for appearance, durability, and ease of maintenance. When using wood rails we prefer to bolt 4X4 posts to the outside for maximum strength over extended years of use. We believe in safety first. When maximizing views are important we often recommend the use of metal railings. Glass is another option, but it does require more maintenance and gives poor visibility in rainy weather.

Facia and Trims:
Usually we will use hand picked tight knot cedar with minimal knots for this. When affordable, clear cedar is chosen. When using an all-plastic deck such as Carefree, we encourage the use of plastic facias. In all cases the trim pieces are used to cover and exposed treated lumber on the perimeters of the structure. Corners are usually mitered so as to not leave and end cut exposed.

Fences:
One of our specialties is custom fencing, the ones that most other companies won't touch. Whether pre-designed or in need of that different look, we can help you. On most of our fences, we either use pressure treated posts set in two feet deep with concrete or we use heavy-duty column base supports set in concrete just as deep or more. Precision in even spacing and straightness is always given full attention. We prefer to keep fence post spacing closer to six feet so the fence will hold up better and last much longer. This minimizes sagging with age and will hold up better to wind storms if tight fencing has been used. When constructing gates we frame them to last, not just until the sale is complete!

Arbors, Pergolas, and Screens:
We have a wide variety of sample pictures of structures we have built to help you decide which style best suites you. We'll recommend the use of clear cedar materials if it is within your budget. They hold up much longer than tight knot materials and have a beauty that is hard to beat.

Custom Gazebos, Sheds and Shelters:
We have built many structures of many types over the years. We will build a structure that not only looks good, but also is built to last the test of time. No gazebo kits, these structures are custom tailored to suit your tastes.

Hot Tubs:
Though we used to make wooden hot tubs, today we prefer to use acrylic shells. When incorporating them into a deck we highly recommend using non-portable types. These allow for greater flexibility in deck design and make it possible for you to get better equipment and filters. This also makes it easier to maintain and have serviced when the time comes for repairs. We work with others that specialize in these types of tubs that you can either work directly with, or through us. If you already have a tub dealer we can work with that too.

Patios:
We lay brick patios for situations where decks don't always make sense. Sometimes when a large area is to be covered in a ground deck situation a patio can really make your living space more exciting. There are many styles and choices of bricks to use today. When we lay these down we first make sure there is proper attainable drainage and if not, we make it right. The ground is well compacted and then we lay coarse sand on top. Compact it again and lay fabric down before bricks go in place. This helps assure evenness in height, and keeps bricks more stable, especially near the edges. We also have several types of borders available.

Outdoor Lighting:
We also can help you in your design and installation of low voltage lighting. This adds a new dimension to nightlife in your yard. We use lighting to highlight elevation changes and pathways, accent structural features, and bring water features to life at night. These lights are designed to be subtle, non-glaring and generally very relaxing when viewed from near or far.

House Modifications:
We realize that when you add structures to the outside of your house you often need to change door and window configurations. We can do these for you. There are numerous options available; we'll help you figure out what's best for you!

Decking Options:

When it comes to decking we highly recommend you take a hard look at the new surfaces available. We will not use Outdoor wood for decking simply because it is difficult to maintain and quite simply looks ugly with age. Ask our competitors if you want this stuff. We also try to avoid 2x6 decking of any kind. The problem with this is that it cups up and checks very easily, and it must be screwed down to keep from coming up. We used to favor clear cedar 5/4 x 4, but now 5/4 x 6 Trex, is our material of choice for most situations. With a few colors to choose from it has a durable surface that never needs preservation or stains, never splinters, slip resistant, feels good to walk on and looks great. It has an ever so slight crown on every board so water sheds of it and never cups up. Made from recycled plastics and hard wood fibers you know too that you are doing the environment a favor. We can even put it down for less than we can clear cedar. Being screwed down, you don’t have to worry about popping up nails either. There are other types of plastic and composite decking we have used and we still feel that Trex is the all around best. You save money with a non-wood deck; did you know that it cost $500.00 to stain a 350sq foot cedar deck? That adds up since it needs to be done every other year to keep it looking nice.

The next best alternative to Trex, we believe is Carefree. Strictly an all-plastic 5/4 x 6 decking that comes in three colors and can be used for railings and fascia as well. All the stainless steel fasteners are hidden so that the surface has a nice clean look. It is more slip resistant when wet than dry. More expensive than Trex and timelier to install, but it also has a 50-year manufactures warranty. It is one of the easiest of all materials to keep clean.

If Trex doesn’t interest you we can also have available other decking:

Clear Western Red Cedar 5/4 x 4:
A beautiful wood with nice long grains. Lots of natural color variations, easier to maintain than tight knot decks. Hand nailed with Ardox or Helix casing nails to create better holding power than standard casing.

5/4 x 4 or 2x4 Inland tight knot cedar:
This is the most expensive decking to install, but it will take more effect to keeping it looking good. It is a little bit harder than western red and resists nicks better. Tight knot decking is more difficult to clean with a pressure washer than clear woods or plastic products. It is much more prone to checking and cracking. Since we guarantee what we put down, we see much more need for replacement boards with this decking.

5/4 x 4 Yellow cedar tight knot or clear:
A more even color than western red cedar, denser and a bit more durable to nicks. Highly resistant to insects. Usually more expensive than western red cedar.

5/4 x 4 Redwood:
Available in different grades from tight knot to clear. Has a higher density than cedar and tends to hold up better. In the Seattle area it is more expensive than cedar decking.

1x4 or 5/4 x 4 Ironwood:
This is a hard wood that looks much like mahogany. It is extremely durable and resistant to nicks and scrapes. It does need a wood finish to protect it from cracking. This wood requires pre-drilling and we usually use finish head stainless steel screws when installing.

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