Fixing the deck was just one item on a big list that Stephen Gross wanted to get done this summer.
His motivation for the project recently increased when he leaned on the railing and it gave way, sending him flying off the deck and onto the ground below. “I went for a ride, that’s for sure,” he said.
After that, he did a more thorough assessment to assess all he needed to do to make the deck sound. While the piers were OK, the decking and railings were loose and rotting in places. The joists were also starting to show signs of trouble. Aside from the footing, he said, he will pretty much need to rebuild it.
Gross, who works as an architectural engineer for Valley Home Improvement, a construction company in Florence, encourages homeowners who are thinking about rebuilding their decks to walk around and make a similar, thorough assessment and construction plan before embarking on their project.
The company’s principal, Steve Silverman, says that whether you want to fix up an old deck or build a new one, planning is the key to success.
“You have to consider what’s going to be on the deck — what the furniture layout’s going to be. Is it going to be table and chairs? Is the grill going to be there? It’s important to design it with the end in mind,” Silverman said.
That sort of backward planning is helpful in determining the size of the deck, which in turn impacts the design of its structural support and how it is attached to the house.
While Valley Home Improvement builds a wide range of decks in homes around the Valley, Silverman said he also works with people who want to build or remodel their own deck, but seek a little technical assistance. He advises do-it-yourselfers to develop a detailed plan and check in with their town building inspector, so that the deck is properly permitted and inspected.
Silverman said that if building a new deck, homeowners should consider the fact that it snows a lot in New England. He advises people to build their decks so they are at least one step down from the floor of the house so that the door sill will not be buried after a snowstorm.
Another big part of planning a deck is choosing the materials. While the framing is by and large constructed from pressure treated lumber, there are a lot of different options in both the decking and railing systems.
Composite decking is generally made from a mix of wood fiber, glue, bonding material, and plastic, and is often encapsulated in PVC or polypropylene.
Evan April of Cowls Lumber says the composite decking is quite popular with his customers because it requires minimal maintenance and looks great.
“In early days, composite decking had a problem with staining if you spilled a glass of red wine on it or it got moldy, but now these materials are extremely stain-resistant and almost maintenance-free. Most people like that,” April said.
Cowls carries a decking product made entirely from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a synthetic plastic polymer, April said. While the manufacturing process of PVC is not environmentally friendly, many of the decking materials available today utilize recycled materials, he said.
According to April, PVC decking looks a lot like composite decking but is a little more flexible and lighter in weight, making it a little easier to work with.
In addition, April said, the color of the material is consistent throughout the boards. In contrast, the encapsulated composite materials come in a variety of colors, but are gray in the middle. This can be a disadvantage if you nick it or bump it with the lawn mower, as it may need to be touched up with a little paint.
Pressure-treated wood is the lowest-cost decking option, but this material does leach chemicals and has a large carbon footprint.
Several species of cedar decking are available for those interested in building a more natural deck. According to April and Silverman, cedar is the most environmentally friendly decking material on the market. Alaskan yellow cedar is a little denser, April said, so it doesn’t scratch as easily and is more rot-resistant than red cedar.
Vinyl decking materials are also available. April said vinyl decking is flexible but not quite as strong as composite materials, as it allows for more expansion and contraction with seasonal temperature changes.
There are a number of newer railing systems for decks that homeowners can consider.
According to Silverman, stainless steel cables, strung either horizontally or vertically every few inches, can give a sleek modern look to a deck, and provide an unobstructed view. He added that this railing system may look great for a house in the country, but not be the right style in a deck on an old Colonial facing the street in Florence.
Other options for railings include composite, vinyl, and powder coated aluminum, as well as more traditional wood railing systems.
Attaching the deck to the house is one of the most complicated phases of construction, Silverman said.
“We spend a lot of time considering just exactly how to make that attachment,” he said.
The size of the deck and the siding material on the house must be weighed in to ensure a proper attachment.
“When we see problems with decks, it’s usually due to a poor attachment,” he said.
These issues include rot that can take hold when water gets into house or deck materials at the point of attachment.
Silverman says that homeowners should be aware that the building code has become more precise on how to fasten a deck to a house. For do-it-yourselfers, it may be worth seeking technical assistance to ensure that the attachment is sufficient.
Silverman said it’s also critical to ensure the supporting structure of the deck is well constructed for the weight of the deck. He said this is one aspect of the deck homeowners may want to consider overbuilding.
“If you ever think you are going to turn your deck into a screened-in porch with the extra weight of a roof, you may want to oversize the piers,” he said.
“The worst thing is to build a deck and five years later have to dig up footings. That’s a pain in the butt to increase footing size. You’re spending pennies to save many dollars (by doing it right the first time),” he said.
Silverman said that if a deck is structurally sound, homeowners can give it a face-lift, starting with a good cleaning.
He discourages power washing, however. While the deck may look good at first after power washing, the pressure of the machine can easily be set too high, which can degrade the fibers of a wood deck.
After cleaning, he advises people to stain instead of paint their decks, because stain sinks into wood but paint sits on top and eventually flakes off, allowing water to enter the boards.
“It’s never a good long- range strategy to paint a deck or any horizontal surface. You’re signing up for a lot of maintenance that way,” he said.