We know you are getting more than one quote for your deck, and well you should. An educated consumer is generally a much happier consumer. To that end, 2-4 quotes should be enough for you to understand whether your contractor of choice is giving you the right product.
We do things just a bit differently, but only to make the finished product better.
Physically, we provide:
- A heavier beam Where room allows, we’ll build a triple 2×10 beam. If not enough vertical space is readily available, we’ll do a triple 2×8 beam. Most competitors use only a double beam.
Why would we do this? For the extra few dollars, the deck will be more rigid, providing a more solid and less “bouncy” deck to walk on, with more people room. - A 2×4 bullnose This runs around the entire perimeter of the deck and hides the ends of the deck boards. This just makes the deck look more finished.
- All stair risers are closed, with a “kickplate”. This is again, for appearance, but also safety for when small children are around.
- All ground level decks have ground cloth (also called filter or landscape cloth) and a layer of gravel placed underneath the deck. This stops the growth of weeds and looks better in the case of an open deck.
- 95% of our low level decks are closed off to the ground with a skirt This looks better and gives some bonus storage area.
- Minimum size and depth of footings Many competitors will dig an 8″ diameter footing and put the support posts directly into the concrete. This is against the Ontario Building Code. We use a minimum 10″ diameter concrete footing, or pier (or even 12″ depending on the application) set in Sono-tubes, with metal saddles to attach the posts. These piers, by code, must be 6″ above grade and at least 4′ deep. Heck, some of our rivals don’t even know how to spell “sono”. Ever see “Sauna-tube” on a quote?
- Larger, closer joists On some smaller decks, we could use 2×6 joists. Instead we always use 2×8’s for extra strength. The OBC often allows joists to be 24″ apart. We always go a minimum of 16″.
- Flashing We will sometimes use a special plastic covering for ledger boards (the attachment to the house), to prevent rot and water ingress to the bolt holes.
- Galvanized nails, clips, and joists hangers Some companies don’t even bother with joist hangers, and will use indoor drywall screws or nails because they’re cheaper.
- Deck board spacing During construction with cedar and pressure treated wood, we will usually butt the boards tightly together. When the wood shrinks, the resultant gap will be large enough for drainage, but small enough for good appearance and prevention of stuff falling through.