Every job below is one we do ourselves across Berwyn.
We dig footings below the frost line, usually around 42 inches in this area, so the deck doesn't heave when the ground freezes. Ledger boards get flashed and bolted into the rim joist, not just nailed to siding. You get a choice of pressure-treated pine, cedar, or composite decking depending on your budget.
Soft spots in the decking usually mean a joist has rotted underneath, not just the board on top. We pull boards to check the frame before we replace anything, because a new board over a bad joist just fails again in a year or two.
Sun and road salt chew through a clear coat fast around here. We strip old finish, let the wood dry for a couple of days, then apply a penetrating stain rated for Illinois weather swings.
Multi-level decks, built-in benches, stairs that land where your yard actually slopes, we draw it out before we cut a single board.
Composite boards don't rot, but they expand and contract more than wood, so spacing and fastener choice matter more, not less. We use hidden fastener systems so there's no screw head visible on the surface.
A wobbly rail post is almost always a sign it was never through-bolted to the frame. We rebuild railing to current code spacing, balusters no more than 4 inches apart, so it passes inspection and holds a shove from a kid or a dog.
Cupped, splintered, or gray boards get swapped one at a time or by the section. We match the fastener pattern to the rest of the deck so it doesn't look patched.
If you want dry storage or a patio underneath, we install a drainage membrane between the joists that channels water to gutters instead of dripping onto whatever's below.
Old deck coming down before something new goes up, or just coming down. We haul the lumber and hardware off the same day.
A pergola attached to an existing deck requires its own footings, it can't just hang off the deck frame. We size the posts and beams for actual snow load, not just what looks right.
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.
Deck building and repair covers Berwyn and the surrounding suburbs.
Questions that come up once a deck project is underway.
Describe the problem and we will tell you what it probably is. No obligation.
