Every job below is one we do ourselves across Rocklin.
We build decks on poured concrete piers set below grade, with joists hung at 16 inches on center so the boards don't bounce underfoot. You pick pressure-treated pine, cedar, redwood or composite, and we size the footings to the span and the load, not just to what's fast to dig.
Soft spots, bouncy joists and rotted ledger boards are the three calls we get the most. We pull the decking back, check the ledger flashing for water intrusion, and replace what's failed instead of screwing a new board over the top of it.
Rocklin summers bake exposed wood decking and the UV fades it gray inside two seasons if nobody touches it. We pressure wash at low PSI to avoid fuzzing the grain, let the wood dry a few days, then apply a penetrating stain or sealer rated for direct sun.
Multi-level decks, built-in benches, a hot tub platform rated for the extra dead load, we work from a drawing before anyone touches a saw. If your lot is uneven or the house sits on a slope, the design has to account for that before we pour a single footing.
Composite boards like Trex or TimberTech don't rot, but they expand and contract with heat more than wood does, so the gapping and fastening pattern has to be different. We use hidden fastener clips sized to the manufacturer's spec so you don't see a screw head on the walking surface.
Loose balusters, a wobbly top rail, posts that were never through-bolted to the rim joist, that's what fails first on an old deck. Current code wants balusters spaced so a 4-inch sphere can't pass between them, and we build to that even on repairs.
When the frame underneath is still sound but the decking boards are cupped, splintered or just outdated, we tear off the surface boards and re-deck the same joists. It's a fraction of the cost of a full rebuild and the structure gets inspected in the process.
Some decks are past saving, rotted ledger, sistered joists that were never sized right the first time, posts rotted off at grade. We tear it out, haul the lumber off, and check the ledger area and siding for water damage before anything new goes up.
Sistering a cracked joist or replacing a post that's rotted at the base only works if you catch it before the deck starts sagging visibly. We jack the deck level before we cut anything out, so the new framing takes the load the way it's supposed to instead of fighting the old sag.
A lot of homeowners want their deck usable in August without standing in direct sun. We can frame a pergola or solid patio cover off the same posts and beams, sized to the wind load for this area instead of a prefab kit rated for somewhere else.
Four steps, and no surprises in any of them.
You tell us what you want doing, we look at what is actually there, and we ask the awkward questions early.
In writing, itemised, free. If something might add cost later we flag it now rather than at the end.
Same crew throughout. We cover your floors, keep the dust down and tidy up before we leave each day.
You point out anything you are not happy with and we fix it before the invoice, not after.
We build and repair decks throughout this part of Placer County.
Questions that come up once a deck project is underway.
Describe the problem and we will tell you what it probably is. No obligation.