Every job below is one we do ourselves across Endicott.
We build new decks from the footings up, sized to the house and yard instead of a standard rectangle. Footings go below the frost line, and joists are sized off a span table for the actual load. Most single-level decks take one to two weeks depending on size and weather.
Multi-level decks, built-in benches, pergolas and stairs placed where you actually want them, not where a stock plan puts them. We draw it out and price it before any lumber gets ordered.
Soft boards, wobbly railings and a deck that bounces when you walk across it usually trace back to one bad joist or a ledger board pulling away from the house. We replace what's failed and leave the rest alone if it's still sound. Sometimes that's a couple of boards, sometimes it's the whole frame.
Sun and snow gray and crack untreated wood faster than most people expect, usually within two to three years. We pressure wash, let the deck dry, then stain or seal it so the wood sheds water instead of soaking it up. Composite decking skips this step, pressure-treated and cedar don't.
Composite boards like Trex or TimberTech skip the yearly staining, but they still need proper joist spacing underneath, usually tighter than for wood, and they expand and contract with heat more than lumber does. We frame for that so the boards don't buckle in August.
Baluster spacing has to stay under 4 inches under most local codes, and the top rail has to hold up to a real push, not just look sturdy. We build railings to pass inspection and to actually take weight.
This is the part nobody sees until it fails: rusted joist hangers, a beam undersized for its span, a ledger bolted into siding with no flashing behind it. We open up the decking, fix the frame, and put it back together right.
If the frame underneath is still solid, we can strip off old decking and railings and rebuild the surface without touching the structure. This cuts the cost compared to a full rebuild, as long as the joists pass inspection first.
Old decks come down board by board or all at once, whichever the site allows, and we haul the debris off. Sometimes this is step one before a new deck goes in the same footprint, sometimes the yard just needs the eyesore gone.
Same framing principles as a deck, with a roof, screens and a floor system built to handle rain instead of just weight. A good option if you want an outdoor space that isn't full of mosquitoes by July.
Four steps, and no surprises in any of them.
You tell us what you want doing, we look at what is actually there, and we ask the awkward questions early.
In writing, itemised, free. If something might add cost later we flag it now rather than at the end.
Same crew throughout. We cover your floors, keep the dust down and tidy up before we leave each day.
You point out anything you are not happy with and we fix it before the invoice, not after.
We travel throughout the Southern Tier for deck installation and repair.
Questions that come up once a deck project is actually underway.
Describe the problem and we will tell you what it probably is. No obligation.
