Deck Construction

The ledger is the joint that matters most

When a deck fails, it is very often at the ledger. On older decks we regularly find the ledger nailed to the house instead of bolted, fastened over the siding, or sitting with no flashing behind it so water has been running into the rim joist of the house for years. The deck may still feel solid underfoot while the wood it hangs from is turning soft.

On a new deck the siding comes off where the ledger goes. Flashing goes behind and over the ledger so water sheds out, and the ledger is through-bolted or fastened with structural screws into the house's rim joist on a pattern the code calls for. It is not attached to brick veneer, stone, a cantilevered floor or anything that is not solid structure.

Some houses do not offer a good place to attach. Older homes with balloon framing, a fieldstone foundation at the right height, or a bay that cantilevers out can make a ledger the wrong choice. In those cases we build the deck freestanding, with its own beam and footings along the house side, and say so at the layout stage.

Footings below frost and a frame sized for its spans

Deck footings in Massachusetts go below frost depth, commonly about four feet, so the deck does not rise and fall with the ground each winter. The footing size depends on the load each post carries and the soil it sits in. The town inspects the holes before concrete is poured, and the posts sit on hardware that keeps end grain off the concrete.

Beams, joists and their spans are sized for the load and the lumber species, with joist hangers, post bases and connectors rated for treated wood so they do not corrode. If you are planning a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen or a heavy planter wall, we need to know before the frame is designed, because those concentrated loads change the footing and beam layout.

We add the details that keep a frame sound: joist tape on the tops of the joists under the decking, blocking where it stiffens the floor, and enough clearance underneath for air to move.

Low decks close to the ground need their own thinking. With little room underneath, air does not move and the framing stays damp, so we use ground-contact rated lumber, leave room for ventilation and grade the soil below so water does not pool under the frame.

We show you what we find, with photos if you are not home, and price the repair before it is done.

Tearing down an old deck and building it again

A lot of our deck work starts with an old deck that has to go. Signs it is time: posts sitting on blocks or buried in the dirt, soft wood around the ledger or at the bottoms of posts, rail posts that move when you lean on them, stairs with uneven risers. Resurfacing a deck like that puts new boards on a frame that is already failing.

When we remove an old deck, the most important moment is the first look at the house behind the ledger. If the rim joist or sheathing has rotted, it is repaired before any new deck is attached to it. We show you what we find, with photos if you are not home, and price the repair before it is done.

Sometimes the old footings are usable and in the right place, sometimes they are not. We check rather than assume, and the written scope covers how each of those findings will be handled.

Removal is part of the job. Old pressure-treated lumber is hauled away rather than burned or buried, and nails and screws are picked up from the lawn before we leave each day.

Railings, stairs and the town inspections

Guards are required where the deck is high enough above grade, with a minimum height and baluster spacing set by the code so a child cannot slip through. Rail posts are the part of the guard that matters most: they need to be blocked and bolted into the frame so they resist a person leaning or falling against them, rather than screwed to the outside of a rim board.

Stairs need consistent rise and run from top to bottom, a handrail you can grip, and a solid landing at the bottom instead of a stepping stone that will sink. Stair lighting is worth planning for any deck used at night, with the wiring done by a licensed electrician.

Decks are permitted through the town building department. Inspections typically come at the footing holes, the framing before decking covers it, and a final. We file the permit and meet the inspectors.

On a second-story deck the guards and stairs carry more consequence, and we treat the attachment and post connections accordingly. Stair stringers are sized for their span and anchored at top and bottom, and the landing sits on a proper base so it does not settle away from the bottom step.

Decking choices and how you stay informed

Pressure-treated decking is the traditional choice and takes stain well, but it moves and checks as it dries. Composite and PVC boards hold their color with less upkeep and can run hotter in direct sun. Hardwoods like ipe are dense and handsome and need the right fasteners. We talk through how the deck faces the sun, how much shade it gets and how much upkeep you want before you choose.

Details make a deck look built rather than assembled: a picture-frame border around the edge, hidden fasteners, fascia boards covering the rim, stair treads that match the deck. Before we start you get a written scope with those choices listed. While we build you get updates on what happened that day and what is next, any change is agreed in writing, and the yard is cleaned up each evening.

Before the decking goes on, we ask you to look at the frame with us. It is the last time the ledger, the flashing and the joist hangers are visible, and they decide how long the deck lasts. Steve would rather you see it than take our word for it. At the end we walk the finished deck with you and go over how to care for the boards you chose.

See the rest of our exterior work, or browse the gallery for rooms we have finished.