Mary Coale found the advertisement in a magazine. The sketch of a deck was just like the one she wanted, and the salesman who came to her house seemed knowledgeable and had handsome photos of other decks the company had built.
"I got references, but I didn't go look at any of their other work or talk to any of their other customers," she admits now. "I wanted to get started."
The carpenter who was supposed to order the lumber arrived a few days later. When the huge pile of wood was delivered, it was dumped in front of Ms. Coale's house. There it stayed. Days passed, and only after several calls to the contractor was the lumber moved to the back of the house. Nothing was done about actually building the deck. The first carpenter, who had ordered twice as much wood as was needed, decided he couldn't handle the job. The second carpenter the contractor sent was competent, but didn't have what Ms. Coale calls "architectural sensitivity." He built too high a deck railing, and she had to have him redo it.
Although the second carpenter removed the leftover wood, she hasn't yet gotten the money for it back from the contractor. She figures she spent about $2,500 more on lumber than she really needed to.
SO YOU WANT A DECK. BEFORE you ever pick up the phone, sit down and figure out why you want a deck. At its best, a deck is an extension of the house -- outdoor living space that should be planned as carefully as if you were adding another bedroom. How will it be used? For barbecuing? Sunning? Entertaining large numbers of people?
"It's the most overlooked part of getting a deck built," says Kip Humphrey of Deckcraft. "And then people end up with a deck that doesn't meet their needs. Budget considerations shouldn't be placed first. You're better off waiting if you can't afford what you need."
Depending on how you'll be using your deck, you should be thinking about what size and shape you want, whether it will be multilevel, what extras, like storage, benches and planters, you're interested in. The average size of decks being built today is 16 by 12 feet, says Rick Pirozzi, regional sales manager of Sears Craftmaster Decks. That's "a good, all-round size where you could entertain up to 10 or 15 people."
Books from the library or home improvement store will suggest designs you haven't considered, and you should also take the time to look at other decks in your neighborhood for ideas. As one homeowner -- who was totally uninterested in the research ** but did it anyway -- says, "I just wanted to know how to buy a deck without going broke."
How you plan to use your deck will help determine its location. If it's primarily for eating or entertaining outdoors, you'll want it near the kitchen. But you have options you may not have thought of. For instance, if there isn't a convenient place to attach a deck to your house, it could be free-standing structure.
Anticipate the future. Is there a possibility you'll want to build another addition on your house? Screen in part of the deck? Add a spa or build a pool? These could affect the location or style of your deck or the type of structural support. A deck is a major home improvement; you don't want to think short-term.
FIGURING OUT WHAT KIND OF deck you want is the easy part. The hard part is figuring out who's going to do the work for you. With the economy as bad as it is, you'll find plenty of people eager to build your deck -- some of them unscrupulous or at least incompetent. Your first step should be to call the Maryland Home Improvement Commission and ask for the free pamphlet, Tips for Choosing a Home Improvement Contractor. The numbers are (410) 333-6309 and (800) 492-7521. (Ask to be connected with the commission.)
If what you want is a basic, inexpensive deck and you have a builder you trust who specializes in small renovations, you could start with him. But deck building is becoming as much a specialty as kitchen designing. One contracting company in the area, Master Deck, is even opening a showroom for decks and accessories this spring: the Deck Factory in Bel Air. Deck designers have a range of training and experience; ask about both. Some may simply be home improvement contractors who specialize in outdoor additions. Some, like Kip Humphrey of Deckcraft, have architectural and landscape design training.
If the design of your dreams is more than a rectangular platform, you should at least consider hiring an architect. "If you have it designed well," says architect-builder Robert Kutner, "it will blend with your house, with its style. It'll be an extension of your house." The cost of the architectural design alone, he says, may be between $200 and $500. But if the architect offers a design-build service, the cost of the finished deck could be comparable to what a deck company would charge. You may also want to call in a landscape designer to integrate the deck with the rest of your property.
Get several estimates. Three is probably a manageable number, because you'll want to check out the work of each builder. First of all, verify their credentials. Obviously, you want to hire companies licensed by the state to do work in your home. But most of us wouldn't recognize a genuine home improvement license if we saw one. The simplest, most direct way to check out a deck builder is to call the Maryland Home Improvement Commission at the numbers mentioned above.
Ask for references. And follow through on checking them out. Look at decks the contractor has built and talk to the homeowners to find out what the company was like to work with. "Ask to see decks that are at least 4 or 5 years old," says architect Frank Smith, "to see if they're still standing up all right, whether there's noticeable deflection in the supports and so on."
ONCE YOU'VE DECIDED ON THE DESIGN and found a builder, the biggest decision you'll have to make is what kind of lumber to use. A very rough estimate of what a properly built deck will cost is between $15 and $20 per square foot; if you cut corners, you may be able to get that down to $12.
The cost of the wood, obviously, is a significant factor. Many contractors recommend pressure-treated Southern pine. "We feel it's the best wood," says Jeffrey Slutkin of Archadeck, the largest deck builder in the country with some 70 offices nationwide. "The other choices, like cedar and redwood, are not as durable and are more expensive."
Pressure treating forces chemical preservatives into the wood fibers; it helps protect the lumber from from decay, rot, and insect infestation. But there are minuses. Treated lumber tends to twist and warp; shrinkage can also be a problem. Some preservatives leave a greenish cast to the wood that has to be covered with stain or paint. And finally, the Environmental Protection Agency has raised questions about possible health hazards of some of the chemicals used -- although it's more of a concern for the people working with the lumber than the people and pets who'll eventually be walking on it.
Some builders compromise by using pressure-treated wood for the substructure and redwood or cedar, which are naturally resistant to decay and termites, for the deck's surface and railings. Your budget may determine what's right for you, because the deck made exclusively from pressure-treated wood will be the least expensive.
IF YOU'VE DONE YOUR homework -- and your legwork -- you should be able to avoid the aggravation and extra expense incurred by the homeowner at the beginning of this story who signed the first contract that came her way. Having the deck of your dreams built might actually be a pleasant experience.
One last word of caution, though. No matter how well-constructed a deck you have, no matter what the quality of the materials, be prepared for some upkeep. Your deck is like your kitchen floor; it needs to be scrubbed sometimes. Deck cleaners make the job comparatively easy. You just apply them and hose them off. But you need to have a regular regimen -- three to four times a year -- to keep your deck looking as good as when it was built. And over the years you may find you need to apply clear water repellent, stains or preservatives to protect your deck and restore it to its original beauty.