As seen is The Signal - August 6th,
2005...
Got View? Get Decked!
- A backyard deck adds value and
functionality to your SCV home
By Stephen K. Peeples
SIGNAL STAFF WRITER
One sure way to add pleasure and value to
your home is by adding a deck over the patio in your back yard,
especially if it improves your view.
Building a deck and/or patio cover may be
a relatively simple construction project, but it's still more
involved and takes more time than most civilians can handle
unless said civilian happens to be a hardcore do-it-yourselfer
with a week or three of extra time.
For the rest of us, having a licensed,
bonded and insured professional build a deck will probably save
time, energy and money in the long run, especially on
second-story and Multi-level decks and anything that requires
city or county building permits.
When you're ready to get bids from
licensed contractors (at least three) who can deal with red tape
as artfully as they do with deck design and construction, do a
little research so you're not totally clueless.
To get the inside track on getting a deck
built, The Signal checked in with Scott Donelson, head of Scott
Construction, one of the busiest deck-builders in the Santa
Clarita Valley. Donelson has been in the deck and patio business
locally for the last 20 years and by his own count has built
thousands of them here.
"We installed most of the decks in
Stevenson Ranch, and many in the Rancho del Tesoro and Westridge
areas," he said. When a developer sells a new home and the new
homeowner wants a deck added, the developer refers him to
Donelson, whose outfit also does other exterior hardscape, like
pools, as well as softscape, or landscaping.
"We build 10-15 decks a month,” Donelson
said. "Once people start seeing our stuff, the referrals just go
from one homeowner to the other to the other." He added that
locally the average cost per square foot for a deck runs between
$40-$45.
"The basic deck takes about three days to
build, then you have to allow another day or two to install the
door, exterior lighting and an electrical outlet," Donelson
said. "So it's about five days total. I'll tell people 10, and
when we're done sooner, everyone's happy.''
Most homeowners at least do have some clue
how they want their new deck to look by the time they hire a
contractor. "Basically, you have to design your deck to fit the
house and the yard." Donelson said.
He's not impressed with computer software
consumers can use to design a deck.
“Those programs are good with squares and
rectangles,” Donelson said, "but they can't do anything
creative, like curves that mirror the shape of the concrete
patio floor down below" -one of the recognizable traits of a
deck built by his company.
When Donelson goes to a house to give an
estimate, he checks out the view first. "If it's a view I push
for a deck, because it will both the view and the house, will
have a higher sale value,'' he said. "You'll see decks on every
single home in Rancho del Tesoro and Westridge, for instance,
because they're built for views. If you have a view, a deck is
almost mandatory."
Next Donelson figures out where it would
make the most sense to build a deck and visualizes what it would
look like when completed, with people gathering on top for a
barbecue or grabbing a few rays.
"It makes the most sense to do a deck over
their downstairs sliding glass door," he said. "Then you want to
try to position the deck so that people have the access door
from the bedroom up above, as well as cover for the door down
below. So that way they have a strong roof which protects them
from the weather."
“A deck is better than a solid patio
cover,” Donelson said. “A deck has a nearly flat surface and
provides more cover underneath than a solid patio cover, which
would have a steep pitch to it and block your view of the sky
much more dramatically."
Once he's determined how large a deck
should be and where it should go Donelson said the last thing he
gets into with the customer is the budget. "The $40-45 per
square foot price will vary depending on how big it is, what the
design calls for, and changes in the materials."
Douglas fir is best for decks in the SCV,
Donelson said. "It's 'surfaced floor size 45 exposed select
lumber,' which means that it's smooth lumber. A 6" x 6" is
actually 5 1/2" x 5 1/2," because it has been surfaced."
After selecting the lumber, Donelson
paints it with primer prior to cutting it and assembling the
deck.
"There's no way to get primer in the
cracks between lumber after it's already connected," he said.
“Then we paint it with a semi-gloss latex, like you'd use for
your kitchens and bathrooms. It's water-resistant and will
stretch as the wood expands and contracts. An oil-based paint
will yellow and crack and a flat latex paint will absorb water,
not resist it. So that’s why we go with a semi-gloss latex.”
Redwood will stand up to the weather than
most types of wood.
"But it'll look horrible - it'll splinter
and still need maintenance." Donelson said.
Several new types of artificial or
composite decking have hit the market in the last five years.
"That they're so new makes me hesitant to
use them," Donelson said. "I will use composite occasionally,
though, especially when I'm building a low deck, close to the
ground. Then I'm a little more comfortable with using the Trex
system or something similar.
"But I don't know how it's going to look
15-20 years from now," he continued. "The main problem with
artificial decking is you can't fix or patch it if the outer
surface breaks down - you have to replace it. Building with it,
you can't do anything creative with the cuts. You have to just
cut and cap the ends. Sometimes you might want to get into Bondo
or something like that. But if you work with the basic materials
like Doug fir, you can be more creative and it's maintainable."
Also, the larger the lumber, the more
sturdy it will be, with less twisting and cracking and lower
overall maintenance. "We'll see people use plywood for the
flooring, which not only has a really bad look, but is also very
high-maintenance," Donelson said. "So we use 2" x 2"s as the
base, and I recommend 2"x6"s with tongue-in-groove for the
flooring, so when you look up from the patio below, you have
something that's nicer to look at than straight 2" x 6"s."
For extra structural sturdiness, Donelson
doesn't use nails or screws. "Nails cause the wood to split, and
loosen up and back away when the wood twists:' he said, "so we
pre-drill the lumber from the top and bolt everything down,
which makes the deck stronger."
Once assembled, Donelson paints the deck
and waterproofs the flooring. "We use Life Deck, made from
fiberglass - it takes a five-stage process to lay that surface
down," Donelson said.
Building codes allow the boards used for
deck flooring to be spaced apart, but that's not a good idea.
"Spaced flooring allows water to flow through the deck onto the
patio below," Donelson said. "The next problem is that dirt gets
in the spaces and you can't get in there it to maintain it. Dry
rot will be a problem over time. That's why I recommend
waterproofed tongue-and-groove flooring on the deck, to cover
the patio down below and save a lot in maintenance."
