This cedar beautiful cedar deck was built in Stittsville, Ontario. Concrete piers at a depth of 48” were used as the customer wanted this deck to be attached directly to the house. The overhead cedar pergola was built using 6”x6” posts and knee braces with 2”x8” joists and beams. The cedar Back was built for permanent seating at the future dinner table.
The cedar privacy fence blocks the direct view of the neighbors and creates a more private seating area.
Black aluminum balusters with 2”x4” upper and lower rails with a 2”x6” top finished off the railing system.
We used vertical cedar 1” x 6” fence boards for skirting and a 2”x12” cedar fascia board.
Making sure your shower is properly waterproofed is an absolute must. Water can be extremely intrusive and will find any and every possible point of exit. By the time you realize you have a leak the damage can be an expensive endeavour Water can get in behind walls and it doesn’t take much to cause problems. Even a small amount consistently leaking into and onto porous materials can cause damage and mold. A product that has proven itself worthy time and time again is the “schluter” product line. The “Kirdi” membrane coupled with the shower base and curb can ensure full waterproofing if installed correctly. You can install the membrane on almost any substrate and it creates a full waterproof barrier under your tiles. With this membrane opportunities for seepage are virtually eliminated, which includes where your doors attached the tile walls and curb and of course your plumbing. “Schluter” offers a host of options for example benches and niches that incorporate into the system to create a full seamless waterfrrf enclosure.
When deciding to build a new deck or replace an existing deck it is important to take into consideration what the deck will be used for along with the shape and size of your yard. A deck can add more living space and value to your home if designed properly. A deck too large may render what’s left of the yard useless. Will you be entertaining larger numbers on the deck? Is it just for a couple people or your entire family? With larger decks multiple levels may come into play, which can give a nice look and break line in spaces but should be thought with caution as a change in level can also break up one nice area into two or more unusable spaces. Budget always plays a huge part in the design of the deck as there are endless options for railing, decking, framing, foundation, lighting, etc. I like to try to get an idea of what the customer needs for space and then try to pick materials that fit into the budget before reducing the size and shape of the deck. A small deck with glass railings and composite decking can cost as much as a much larger deck made with pressure treated lumber with a code minimum railing yet the pros and cons the customer are considering play a huge part in the decisions as well. Maintenance free and longevity vs size may be desired. Always give thought to your foundation as well. Poured footing are always a more solid way to support your deck and with concrete poured footings you can attach to your house but if you choose to use floating deck blocks you should not attach to the house which means building another beam in place of attaching to the home. If a floating deck is attached to a house it can eventually damage the house as the deck moves up and down with frost heaving while the house remains still. Also, if you have floating footings be sure there is no water draining under the footing from your eaves trough or otherwise. The water will freeze and heave.
