Stain Prevention on Fiberon Decking
This week’s video post is from Southwest Fence & Deck, Inc, in Carrollton, Texas. For more info, visit http://www.southwestfence.com.
Thanks to the team at Southwest Fence & Deck, Inc. for their expertise and advice. Do you have any additional tips for composite decking stain prevention or stain removal? Add them to the comments below.
The Benefits of Hiring a Professional Deck Builder
Professionally built Fiberon Horizon Deck in Ipe
Professional Deck Builder Bayn Wood returns to On Board with the second installment of his “Why Hire a Pro?” series. For more info from Bayn and his company visit www.autumnwoodconstruction.com or Bayn’s blog.
The benefits of hiring a professional deck builder not only apply to the quality of your deck, but also the design and functionality of your outdoor space. A professional deck builder can make the difference between a unique, high-quality, up-to-code deck and the standard square, cookie cutter project. Here are a couple of additional reasons to consider hiring a professional for your deck installation: Read the rest of this entry »
Outdoor living room with Fiberon Horizon Decking in Rosewood
Not all composite decks are created equal. In fact, no one deck should look the same. Give your deck its own personality. Here are four areas you can focus on when looking to customize your new composite deck.
Meet Gordon Whittaker
This week we introduce you to one of our FiberPROs, Gordon Whittaker – master carpenter & owner of Alter Eagle Residential Building and Construction in Sonoma Country, California. For more info on Gordon and his company, visit http://www.altereagle.com.
Hello, my name is Gordon, a 30-year master carpenter and owner of Alter Eagle in Sonoma County. We are nestled in the Redwoods by the Pacific Ocean in the wine country of Northern California. With our stunning vistas and enjoyable year ’round climate, decks have become an extension of our interior living space. Spending quality time on our decks has become a life-balancing feature of our lives. Our customers are enjoying decks as entertainment areas for their families and friends as well as sanctuaries from the bustle of daily life. Read the rest of this entry »
Professional Advice on Mold Prevention through Both Deck Design and Routine Maintenance
This week’s video post is from Bobby Parks, owner of Peachtree Decks & Porches in Alpharetta, Georgia. For more info on Bobby and his company, visit www.peachtreedecksandporches.com.
Thanks to Bobby Parks for his expertise and advice. Do you have any additional tips for preventing mold from growing on composite decking? Add them to the comments below.
Ensure your composite deck maintains its natural beauty
Follow these ten easy care and maintenance steps to keep your composite deck looking great throughout the year:
Horizon Composite Decking in Ipe
10. Never use shovels or sharp edges to remove snow and ice from your deck.
9. Place a vinyl-backed splatter guard mat underneath your grill.
8. For oil and grease stains, speedy clean up is the best. The longer the oil or grease sits on the surface the most likely it is to soak into composite wood fibers.
7. Use extreme caution with pressure washers when cleaning your deck. Use at pressures less than 1,500 psi at 12” above the deck surface.
6. Keep debris out of gaps between the decking boards so rain showers can remove pollen
5. Clean any mold spots when deck is completely dry with eco-friendly commercially available cleaners like Corte-Clean, ConcrobiumXT Eco-Wash or other commercial deck cleaners designer specifically for your type of decking. Strictly follow manufacturers’ instructions.
4. Clean your deck periodically, at least twice a year, to remove pollen, leaves and debris that promote mild growth.
3. Maintain a deck that is dry and clean. Dislodge accumulated dirt with a broom or by using soap, water and a scrub brush, scrubbing in the direction of the grain pattern.
2. Improve drainage or grade soil to eliminate standing water under decks. Direct downspouts, downspout extensions and splashguards away from decks.
1. Ensure adequate ventilation under and between decking boards to prevent mold growth.
Refer to the Fiberon Care and Maintenance document for more information.
Do you have maintenance tips of your own? Leave them in the comments below!
This week’s post comes Barry Streett – owner & president of Rolling Ridge Deck Company in Evergreen Colorado. For more information on Barry and his company, visit www.rollingridgedeck.com.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that hiring can be one of the toughest things to manage. Hiring “warm bodies” may fill a short-term need, but can cost you valuable production time in the long term.
now hiring by TheTruthAbout...
Here are tips that I’ve found work for finding the best help:
Hopefully these tips can help you weed through the many applicants you get to find the best crew members you can. If you have any tips that have worked for you, please share them in the comments section below.
This week’s post comes from Bayn Wood, president of Autumnwood Construction Inc., for more information from Bayn and his company, visit www.autumnwoodconstruction.com or Bayn’s blog.
Hello, my name is Bayn Wood and I am president of Autumnwood Construction Inc., a Detroit metro-area deck and patio construction company.
deck building by robinhamman
Being in the deck building business, we encounter the do-it-yourself-er quite a bit. In the last month we have seen a composite deck built by a new homebuilder that looked like the framing crew nailed it off. We gave a recent quote for a pending lawsuit where a homeowner built his own deck, sold his house and stated to the buyer that it was built to code and the building inspector had approved the deck construction. In reality, the deck needed to be torn down because it was not only out of code, but posed a major danger to anyone on it. We also visited a new construction home for a quote on building a backyard deck. As I pulled into the driveway I noticed a very nice covered front porch that had high-end composite railings. These railings were sagging in between the railing posts. After closer inspection, I noticed there were not any squash blocks installed and that the bottom rail was installed upside down (by the homeowner).
All costly errors.
You may say that there are plenty of decks built by homeowners that have been built well, and that may be true, but what are you getting yourself into when you take on a deck building project?
Here are a few areas to consider before you decide to “do it yourself:”
In my opinion deck building is a trade, just like an electrician, plumber, or pipe fitter.
To have a special “outdoor living” dream deck space, you should consider a deck building specialist.
Can you think of another reason to hire a pro, or are you a homeowner who has successfully built his or her own dream deck? Share your experiences or comments below!
As a contractor or professional builder, you know your business needs leads, but maybe you’re unsure if you’re doing everything you can to generate those leads.
_MG_3750 by Richard.Asia
Here is a list of the top five ways to get leads for your business:
What about you? Is there a way to generate leads I left out? If so, share your secret in the comments below.
Some think installing their own composite deck is a difficult task to tackle, but as someone who’s built his own composite deck, I’m here to tell you it can be done. All it takes is a little preparation, and you, too, can install your own composite deck.
Catacorner deck frame by Ctd 2005
Start by doing some planning with pencil and paper. Then find a deck design tool. On the Fiberon website is the Deck Designer, which allows you to get basic 2D or 3D layouts of your deck plan. You can print a list of all the materials you will need to build your platform and footings, making your trip to your local lumberyard easy and fast, as well as all the locations near you where you can buy Fiberon composite decking.
Most composite decking manufacturers provide instructional videos and installation instructions on their website, which will give you the lowdown on how to build your composite deck. Once you’ve designed your deck, make sure you have the tools and materials you need, as well as instructions for installing your deck. Now you should be ready to go.
If you’ve done your homework beforehand, building your composite deck (hopefully with Fiberon) won’t require much more than a little time and patience.
Send us pictures of your Fiberon decking and we’ll post them to our Facebook Page.
