New Life for the Deck

Ah, the deck. 

When we first toured the lake house it was mid-January.  A lot of issues can hide under January snow...a bad driveway, ,a mis-managed lake shore, and a rotting deck.  Well, we knew the deck needed work - but assumed adding new decking and railing would be enough.  Sadly, not even close.

The original posting showed an inviting space, with a great, cannot-be-beat view to the lake.  We thought - "oh good, maintenance free decking!"....little did we know it would all need to be removed due to the structural issues with the framing.

Other outside images from the listing hinted at other issues...but it wasn't until we purchased that we knew the extent of the work to be done.  The birds flying in and out of the house where the deck was attached was a pretty big tip.

It's October, so the first step is to get furniture, right?  I found a great deal on a 4-piece set of outdoor furniture at the Burnsville MN Home Outlet...when I saw it for under $300, and compared to what new sets go for - over $1000 - I had to get it.  The set ended up spending a few weeks in our living room, and eventually made its way to Cold Spring.  

As for the deck, I knew finding a contractor would be the first challenge - especially being new to the area.  I also know that good, reliable help is hard to find.  Before we even moved in, I had the upstairs bathroom redone (more on that another time), and it was a challenge to keep things on track, on budget, when we were not at the house all the time.

Early Nov of 2019, we needed to replace the garage door opener.  I literally googled 'garage door' and found a company nearby, Augusta Garage Door.  I called, and a PERSON ANSWERED THE PHONE....and was able to get someone out to the house the next day...bright and early 7am.  I had mentioned being new to the area, appreciated he was able to fit me in so quickly, and that it was going to be interesting to find a new, reliable, general contractor, especially for something as big as a deck.  He said - "I can give you a name of a guy...he's really good - in fact, my dad says he's good - and my dad is super picky".

That name was Keith Norstrem , of Diamond Willow Construction.  Keith came out to the house to discuss what I wanted as far as design.  Our priorities were to 1) make it safe 2) add value to the house and 3) add a bit of interest, if possible.  To do that, we agreed that the basic footprint of the deck would be the same, however the stairs would have a landing and end up out to the lake, and the decking itself would be diagonal.  Keith provided a written estimate, and I put down 10% to hold my place in line for spring 2020.

I ended up using Keith to finish a bedroom over the winter - more on that later... 

Spring arrives, and Keith estimates he will begin work the first week of May.   Our neighbor hears we are re-doing the deck, and asks for the old material...and agrees to help dismantle.  He is a long-time resident of this neighborhood - and actually helped the former owner buld the deck!  In addition, removing the old deck ourselves will actually reduce the hours for Keith, save us money, and ensure the old material doesn't end up in a landfill - a win-win-win!

Tim removing railing; thousands of screws later, the decking is gone!

Framing removed, down to old header, buried under old siding.

 

These images show the new framing in progress, complete with diamond pier footers, in compliance with county code.  Don't get me (or Keith) started on the process to get approval from both the Township -AND the County to replace a bad/non-permitted deck!  WEEKS of phone calls...but enough about that. 

    The deck color I selected is Brazilian Walnut, from the Azek Arbor collection.  The railing is the Tuscany series, from Westbury Railings.  Diagonal decking inspired by Pinterest and a landing add visual interest.

    

Of course one of the final touches is just the right pillows...which I searched for in stores and online; believe me I looked.  Finally found MyPilllowStudio on Etsy, where I could custom order just the right size and color...solar light from Home Depot.

The finished look!  We love having our morning coffee on the deck, and the dog is in love with a sunny morning snooze on the warmed decking.

What do you think?  What are your 'lessons learned' from your deck projects?  Leave your comments below!  Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.