Apr 1 2015
Homeowners love to bring the comforts of the indoors to their outdoor spaces, but sometimes elaborate designs are not in the budget or the property may have space limitations. That means contractors have to be creative to achieve the outdoor spaces of their customers' dreams.
"Homeowners can have beautiful replacement decks that look brand new, often without replacing the understructure," said Baron Biedenweg, owner of Archadeck of Northeastern Indiana. "Even with limited space, there's no need to sacrifice style with all of the beautiful low-maintenance decking options on the market."
Biedenweg has been a fan of low-maintenance TimberTech capped composites, AZEK capped pvc decking, and their complementary railing systems for years and says that replacing a deck is an economical way to upgrade to these materials.
For example, Biedenweg recently installed a replacement deck for an empty-nest couple in Fort Wayne. They were tired of the maintenance demands of their deteriorating cedar deck and railing, which were presenting a safety concern. "They chose TimberTech's Legacy Collection in Pecan, a capped composite with an added layer of protection, because of the natural look and hand-scraped texture," he said. "They selected AZEK's Reserve Rail for its bold style, and we trimmed the deck with AZEK pvc trim for a very classy look." Biedenweg says hidden fasteners are a must for his composite decks and uses TimberTech's CONCEALoc® fasteners for the boards and Cortex® for the perimeter.
The couple uses their new deck for dining, entertaining and relaxing. "We kept the basic shape and design of their old wood deck, just made it slightly larger and added a new patio and granite water feature," said Biedenweg. "It looks like a completely new outdoor space." For this project, the deck's substructure was replaced because it was rotted and aging. However, if the deck's understructure is sound, it may be possible to tear off and replace the old boards with new composite boards.
"We offer TimberTech and AZEK products because they are trouble free, well accepted by customers and backed by good companies," said Biedenweg. "The couple was thrilled with their material choices and the outcome of the project. Because of the warranties offered by Archadeck, TimberTech and AZEK, these customers will be able to enjoy their deck without worry for many years to come."