How are you planning to use the deck?

A deck off of your living room that will be used for entertaining needs to be much larger than a secluded and private deck you add to your master suite.

How much space is available to use?

Part of this question is about the size of your yard, usable area, and possible obstructions like trees or boulders. The other part of this is a question about the permit you can acquire to build a deck:

Can you acquire a permit for the size deck you want or will you need to modify your plans?

Your deck should appear to be in proportion with your house. When the project is complete, the deck should look like a logical and beneficial addition to your home. If the scale of the project is either too small or too large, it could look disproportionate to your house. A deck should also be proportional to your yard. If you are adding a deck so you and your guests can enjoy your beautiful yard, you cannot have the deck take up half the yard.

Materials

Wood is still the most common material used to build decks in Houston-Sugar-Land , but wood is starting to be replaced or supplemented by new materials in patio and deck construction. Here is a list of commonly used materials:

Wood: Until recently, all decks were constructed almost entirely of wood. Because of the exposure to moisture, most wood used for decks is pressure-treated wood. Pressure-treated wood is exposed to chemicals under pressure, and the chemicals prevent decay and termite damage, and can dramatically reduce repairs of your deck.

Composite Decking: Composite decking is a combination of wood pulp and plastic. It is looks like wood and is lower maintenance than wood. Composite decking lacks the strength of wood, and long pieces of composite decking used as floorboards require more closely spaced supports. Composite material is not generally used for the main supports pieces of a porch or deck, but is used in combination with pressure-treated wood.

Access

How many points of access you plan for your deck will impact its appearance and function. A deck usually has steps to the yard and access to the front or back door of the home. However, if you are installing a wrap-around deck, it is ideal to plan at least one additional entrance to and from the house, as we

ll as at least one additional set of stairs to the yard. Houston-Sugar-Land homeowners commonly add decks to the living room, the recreation room, or the master bedroom to function as an extension of the room. However, it is often necessary to install a door to provide access to the deck, and stairs from the deck to the yard. The door will often be made of glass, to present an inviting image of the deck from the room. If space permits, the use of either sliding or French double doors is also common.

 

Enclosures

To what degree to you want your deck to be open to the elements, and to what degree do you want it to be protected from the elements should be determined. This goes back to what time of day and year you plan to use the deck, and the weather and insect conditions in your area. Railings are the most basic form of deck enclosure, and they are essential for almost all types decks. Other enclosure options are screened in porches, windows, roofs and awnings. If you are installing screens, windows or awnings, consider making them removable so you can use them or not depending on the conditions.

Permits

We will provide all drawings, prints, etc. to the township necessary to obtain the permit. We will schedule all inspections which your township requires.

Footings

The holes are dug to meet or exceed your townships requirements, which is normally a 36 inch hole. We pour approximately 16 inches of concrete into the hole, set the post, which is a pressure treated 6 x 6, and then pour approximately 12 inches of concrete around the post. The rest of the hole is then filled with dirt. Upon customers request, we can also pour the footers with concrete to ground level, using a sono tube. A plate is then attached to the 6 x 6 and anchored into the concrete. An additional charge is normally applied to do this.

Beam

The 6 x 6’s are then notched out to accommodate a double 2 x 10 beam. The beam sets in the notched out part of the post. It is then bolted to the 6 x 6 posts using 2 1/2 inch thru bolts per 6 x 6 post. (The reason for the notch out is so the weight of the deck rests completely on the 6 x 6 post and not just on the bolts.

Framing

The ledger board, which is the board attached to the house, is attached using 1/2 x 5 inch lags spaced 14 inches apart. Prior to attaching the ledger board, we will cut out the siding, flash it using vinyl flashing. If the ledger board needs to be attached to concrete, we use concrete wedge anchors 14 inches apart. Our framing joists are standard 2 x 10 pressure treated boards spaced at 14 inches on center for straight flooring and 12 inches on center for diagonal flooring. All joists are attached to ledger board using joist hangers. The joist hangers are zinc coated and hot dipped galvanized to eliminate rusting.

Flooring

You can choose to either run flooring straight, diagonal, or multiple directions. Whatever you choose, there will be no splices in the floor and it will be professionally cut to fit against the house and around objects such as spouting, etc. All edges are routered to give the flooring a finished and elegant look. Our flooring is normally screwed using 2 and 1/2 inch screws. The screw color will match the flooring color to blend in and make the screw less noticeable. We use a dura spin screw, which has a reverse thread near the top of the screw. This kind of screw eliminates any kind of “mushroom” which is when there is small “bumps” where the screw head went into the flooring. We also use hidden fasteners, which completely eliminates any kind of surface screwing and there will be no screws showing on the deck surface. There is normally an additional charge for this option.

Railing

Normally we notch out the floor to accommodate a 4 x 4 post. This is installed on the inside of the outer 2 x 10 and gets nailed and lagged with 2 3/8 inch lags. We use a construction grade of doug fir for the 4 x 4’s, as opposed to pressure treated. The reason for this is the fir does not twist as it ages and thus insures that your railing will stay perfectly straight. For most railing styles, the railing you choose will have a post sleeve designed to fit perfectly over the 4 x 4’s and also a post trim, which slides over the post sleeve and down against the floor to give it a great finished look. The railing of your choice is then installed.

Steps

Our steps are cut out of pressure treated 2 x 12’s, and custom made on the jobsite to accommodate your deck to ground level. They will be concreted in, using the same method as the deck footings. The risers, (the back of the step) will be covered with the same product as the flooring on your deck and the ends will be routered to blend in perfectly with your deck.

Fascia

The exposed pressure treated, which is the outer 2 x 10 around the deck and the sides of the steps, is covered with fascia to match you deck color. You can choose to either have the fascia put on vertically or horizontal. This finishes off your deck so that everything blends in beautifully. This is standard and not an additional charge.

Lattice (Optional)

Lattice is optional and normally not included in the base price of the deck. Should you choose lattice we use a vinyl lattice, normally the color of your railing unless you request different. It is framed using pressure treated 2 x 4’s and we can build a hinged door for access. This provides a nice area to store items underneath your deck.

Stone (Optional)

If you prefer to have stone put underneath your deck, we will do so. First we put down a weed barrier to prevent grass from growing underneath your deck, then cover it with 2 - 3 inches of stone. We put down the stone of your preference. The most commonly used are the red 3/4 inch decorator stone or the 1 inch white round stone. This is normally an additional charge.

 

Pressure-Treated Lumber Decks

Deck Pricing, Cost Estimates and Research
Building an outdoor deck is one of the simplest ways for homeowners to expand their living space and add visual appeal to their landscape. Outdoor decks do not require electrical or plumbing installations and you are spared the hassle of working with lighting, windows and other components that a full addition would require.

It is true that constructing an outdoor deck can be simple; however, it still requires you to put careful planning into it. As with any home improvement project, the more you put into the planning and preparation, the more you will get out of it. Keep in mind that a qualified professional in your area can help make sure that you are considering every step of the deck planning process.

There are four factors to take into considerations with an outdoor deck.

Size of the deck
Location of the deck
Materials that will be used to construct the deck
Design of the deck

Determining The Size Of Your New Deck
In order to save yourself money and ensure an effective construction, it is best that you plan your deck dimensions. By doing this you will be using standard board lengths and reducing the amount of wasted wood. Make sure that when it comes to materials, you are only purchasing and using what you need.

The location of your deck is crucial. Consider where the sun will reach your deck, where the shade will reach your deck, where you will get easy access, and where you will get the best view. Also, think about air movement. Often a wrap around deck can increase the level of air circulation, making your deck experience a more enjoyable one.

Deck Materials
Think carefully about what material to build you deck out of. You can spend less money on materials such as Fir and Pine, but expect to need a replacement within 10 years. High end materials, such as Cedar and Redwood, may cost more, but they will offer you more durability and a longer lifespan. You can also choose between aluminum decks, concrete decks, and composite decks.


The design of your deck incorporates several elements. You need to consider privacy, landscape, and architectural appeal. Choose between an octagonal, a free-standing, a multilevel deck, or maybe even a pool deck design. You can choose between a warm classic look and a sleek modern appeal. Be as crafty as you can with your new deck because it is just as important as your kitchen or family room.

Decking Materials
The quality or grade of your decking material ultimately determines the success or failure of your structure. Using a high end decking material will offer you the best results. High end materials include cedar, redwood, mahogany, ironwood, and certain composite decking materials.

When selecting your high end material it is important to consider the cost, availability of the product, shipping cost, and maintenance costs. It is best that you take these figures and compare them to the amount of money it will cost you to use non-high end materials (pine or fir) that will need replacement in 10 years. Most likely, you will see that it is worth the additional costs for high end materials because they will last for longer periods of time.

If you do decide to go with a high end material for your decking construction, pay special attention to the grade of wood. Not only does the grade represent the level of visual appeal, but also the level of strength. Wood grades are also based on the number of obvious flaws, such as splits, sap pockets, knots, and other imperfections.

In addition, you will want to focus on the level of maintenance. There are three different decking material options that can affect the strength and amount of maintenance required.

Pressure-treated Lumber- Least expensive (Pine or Fir)
Rot-resistant Wood- High End quality (Cedar, Cypress, Redwood)
Synthetic Materials- Least amount of maintenance (Plastic, Rubber, Vinyl Lumber)

 

 

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Houston Sugar-Land Texas Remodeling and Construction Services

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Outdoor Kitchens-Fireplaces★Patios★Driveways-Sidewalks★Garden Structures★Fencing★Retaining Walls★Stone Brick Masonry★Water Features

 

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