Decks
New builds, structural repair, and bringing back decks that still have good bones under a bad surface.
Plenty of decks that look finished only need the boards and the railing replaced, because the frame underneath is sound. The parts that actually fail first are the ledger connection to the house and the posts where they meet the ground.
A deck ages from the top down and fails from the bottom up. The surface boards grey, split and get furry long before anything structural is wrong, which is why so many homeowners assume the whole thing needs tearing out. Meanwhile the parts that genuinely matter, the ledger bolted to the house and the posts where they meet concrete or soil, are hidden and rarely looked at.
The ledger is the one worth being serious about. It is the connection carrying the deck load into the building, and when decks collapse it is almost always the ledger that went. Older decks around here were frequently nailed rather than through-bolted, and often without flashing above them, which lets water run down behind the board and rot both the deck framing and the house rim joist it is attached to. We check that connection on every restoration before quoting anything cosmetic.
Our winters are the other factor. Snow load sits on a deck for months, water gets into every exposed end grain and fastener hole, then freezes and expands. That is what splits boards and works fasteners loose. It also means the finish on a deck here has a much harder life than the same finish three states south.
What we handle
Designed and built to code, with proper footings below frost depth, a through-bolted and flashed ledger, and framing sized for the span and the snow load.
New decking and railing over a frame we have inspected and repaired. Where the structure is sound this is a fraction of the cost of a rebuild.
Ledger replacement and flashing, post and footing repair, joist and beam replacement. The work that is invisible and is the reason a deck is safe.
Old finish removed properly, boards sanded, fasteners set, then stain or sealer suited to the exposure. Not a coat applied over a failing one.
How it runs
Ledger connection, flashing, footings, posts and joists. On a restoration this decides everything, because there is no point resurfacing a deck with a failing ledger.
If the frame is sound you get quoted a resurface. If it is not, you get told why, with the evidence, rather than being talked into the bigger job.
Composite, pressure treated, cedar or hardwood. We lay out what each costs to buy and what each costs to maintain, because those two answers point in opposite directions.
Footings below frost line, ledger through-bolted and flashed, framing to span, hidden fasteners where the product suits them, railing to code height and spacing.
Why us
It is the connection that carries the deck into the house and the one that fails when decks collapse. Cosmetic quotes that skip it are quoting the wrong job.
A sound frame with tired boards does not need demolishing. We will quote the resurface when the resurface is the right answer.
Footings below frost depth and framing sized for months of accumulation, not for a milder climate somebody else designed for.
Reviews
Google reviews from customers we did deck building & restoration for.
We hired Stephen to repair our deck, and he did such a great job that we also hired him to add a bathroom to our finished basement. He was communicative, flexible, and worked clean. We are elated with how it all turned out. Thank you for helping us love our home!
Stephen and his team did a great job, completely redoing our porch roof. They were on time, courteous, and very professional. I will definitely be hiring them again for future projects
Where we work
We build and restore decks throughout our service area. Frost depth and snow load both increase noticeably as you move north through Saratoga County and east into Bennington County and the Berkshire hill towns, and footing depth and framing follow accordingly.
We cover Albany County, NY, Rensselaer County, NY, Saratoga County, NY, Schenectady County, NY, Bennington County, VT, Berkshire County, MA.
Questions
Composite costs more up front and almost nothing to maintain, and it will not split or splinter. Wood costs less initially and needs cleaning and refinishing every two to three years in this climate to stay right. If you enjoy the maintenance, wood is lovely. If you do not, composite is usually the cheaper choice over ten years even though the invoice is larger on day one.
It depends entirely on the frame, not on how the surface looks. Grey, split boards on a sound structure are a resurface. A rotted ledger, failing posts or footings that have heaved mean a rebuild. We inspect before quoting so you get the real answer rather than the convenient one.
For a new deck, almost always yes, and it will need an inspection of the footings and the framing. Simply replacing decking boards on an existing frame usually does not. Requirements vary by town across the three states we work in and we handle the permit either way.
Every two to three years here, and sooner on a deck with full southern exposure and no shade. The freeze and thaw cycle is harder on a horizontal surface than on siding, because water sits on it rather than running off. A deck that has gone five or six years without attention usually needs stripping and sanding rather than just a fresh coat.
Usually one to two weeks on site for a typical residential deck, plus the wait for the footing inspection, which is scheduled by the town rather than by us. Larger or multi-level decks take longer. We give you a realistic date rather than an optimistic one.
Related
Prep-first exterior painting on clapboard, cedar and trim, using coatings that survive a Northeast freeze and thaw cycle.
Learn more about Exterior Painting
Built to fit the room it lives in: cabinetry, shelving, mantels and furniture-grade pieces in the species you pick.
Learn more about Custom Woodworking
Pole barns, workshops, sheds and storage buildings for rural and residential property, permits handled.
Learn more about Barns & OutbuildingsWe will check the structure before quoting anything cosmetic, then tell you whether it is a resurface or a rebuild.
Tell us about your project and we will get back to you with a written estimate.
