Many of the customers I build wood and composite decks for in Suffolk County are often looking for ways to make their decks unique and special. There are a few recommendations I have to give the perfect finishing touches to your deck job. The first thing I would recommend is adding some type of trim or finish around the edge of the frame of your deck. This includes enclosing the space between the frame and the ground. Most customers choose lattice and use a white plastic trip board around the deck frame to give a nice finished look. Some customers do not care for the look of lattice so they will elect to enclose the bottom by vertically attaching the decking boards around the entire perimeter of the frame. Lattice will be more cost effective but both will do a nice job of enclosing the bottom of your deck which will keep animals out and will give a desired finished look to your deck project. Post caps are another nice addition you can add that will bring some uniqueness to your deck. There are a few different options for shapes, colors, sizes and materials. Copper is usually a popular choice on wood decks while white PVC caps are popular on composite post caps. Either way the post caps will bring a beautiful detailed finish to the look of your deck. Built in benches are another way to make your deck unique as well as more serviceable to your family and guests. Low voltage lighting can also be used to illuminate your deck at night and would make a beautiful addition to your back yard or front porch.
There are several options when it comes to deck railing. Many of the customers I build decks for in Suffolk County use a wide variety of railing choices. Most of the time it is a matter of matching colors and materials to the decking itself to make it esthetically pleasing. Most of the composite decking is produced in natural and or neutral colors so the white PVC railing is a popular choice because it will match any decking color. I have installed a wide variety of PVC composite railings and have found that Color Guard is the best brand to use for a few reasons. The first reason is that it has easy to install hardware brackets with bracket sleeves. There are many brands on the market that do not have sleeves and will show gaps between the railing supports and the railing sleeve. Home depot and Lowes carry something similar to Color Guard but the big difference is that their brand does not carry 8’ sections and Color Guard does. Having 8’ rail sections can cut down on costs by allowing the installer to span the posts every 8’ rather than every 6’. Overall it will require less sections to buy and save on material costs. Wood decking can be constructed out of lumber to simply match the lumber that was used to build the deck. As long as the balusters or spindles are less than 3” spaced and is over 36” high then it will meet code. Bend aluminum railings are a special order item than can really dress up your deck for a high class look. Bend aluminum looks great but can be very costly. Each section must be custom measured for manufacturing purposes and sliding adjustable brackets leave some for error during installation. When installed correctly it can bring a one of a kind look to your deck project.
|
AuthorI have been building decks for 15 years and have used most materials and techniques. I want to share my experience with my future costumers to ensure you do your project the right way. Archives
March 2016
Categories |