Exclude an Above Ground Pool Deck.

So you have spent a lot of money, time and frustrations getting your new above ground pool installed.You invested this time, money and frustrations so you can spend quality time with your family and friends . You find yourself floating on your favorite float that has a built in cup holder for your favorite cocktail with your choice of music playing in the background, the smell of the steaks that are cooking on the grill way over there on the patio and think to yourself “Now This Is It”. You look out your backdoor to see the children splashing around in the pool. Ahh the joys of owning a pool !

Fall rolls around. You are still enjoying the pool but not quite as much since the water has cooled down a bit. The leaves start falling from the trees and right in the pool. You have to spend a little time every few days cleaning the leaves out. Winter sets in and unless you can afford the luxury of a pool heater your pool season has ended for a few months. You have a few not so cool days and you want to get outside so you bring out the lawn chairs and set them on the lawn to stare at the metal walls of this big structure and think  “I spent a lot of money, time and frustrations  and This Is It?”

Include an Above Ground Pool Deck.

Well there is a better option.An area that becomes part of that investment in your family and friends that you can enjoy almost endlessly. An Above Ground Pool Deck can greatly ehance your Quality Time with your Family and Friends while extending your time outdoors. The options are numerous . To name a few of them – Steps, built in Benches, Hand Rail, Shade Structure like a Pergola, Wood Deck Skirting, a place to swing a rope hammock to lay back enjoying a good book or laptop surfing the net, floating candles in the pool, Tiki’s, Patio Furniture arranged on this Wood Deck to fit your taste, low voltage lighting, gas fire pit for those cool days, Planters or potted plants, smelling  those steaks on the grill and your choice of music playing in the background. Now look out your backdoor and what do you see?

The only limits here are your budget and your imagination but the benefits and memories are immeasurable.

There are varying opinions and reviews out there regarding Composite Deck Materials (good and bad) so I may as well add mine to the mix

Composite deck materials or WPC (wood, plastic, composite) are slowly gaining popularity. According to a market study done by : Principia Partners for new, remodled and replacement decks market share of deck boards based on millions of linear feet, from 2004-2009 WPC has gained 14% over pressure treated softwoods or PTS.

While 65% of the decks installed are made with PTS, the consumers are realizing that the initial lower cost  is being offset with the almost yearly maintenance. This coupled with the “Go Green” revolution is giving rise to the increase in popularity with WPC.

The cost of a composite deck can be up to 3 1/2 times higher and will still require some upkeep. There are lots of deck builders that have experience working with WPC so finding a deck contractor for WPC deck construction should be a easy task.

Some of the Advantages and Disadvantages

1- Composite decks can have a higher heat retention but can be offset by purchasing a lighter color.

2- The cost is higher than a wood deck but you have more choices on deck design with your deck ideas.

3- Surface is of composite decking is nonskid vs wood deck with stain applied.

4- No splintering or warping that you get with PTS.

5- No reappling of weather selant/stain every 2-3 years although some of the manufacturers reccomend a light application.

6- WPC has wood fibers with the recyled plastics nad when cut and left exposed are subject to rot and mold unless it has additives such as zinc borate.

7- WPC contains plastic, either polyethylene which is recycled and more malleable plastic and wood fiber, or polypropylene which is virgin plastic which is more rigid.

8- WPC can stain with  oil, rust, wine, chemicals or grease from your BBQ grill but can be minimised with an approved protectant.

9- Some of the WPC’s are softer than others and will scratch easier.

10- You can choose from a variety of colors,  textures and wood grain simulations.

11- They call WPC enviromentally friendly but yet the chemicals that are needed to clean are not quite so envoromentally friendly.

12- If scratched or stained you have to replace and can not refinish like you can with wood.

I have been in deck construction for a long time and have seen products come and go. I like working with the different brands of WPC and have been very pleased with ease of installation as well as the apperance

but only time will tell if it will last as some of the claims made.

If you are considering deck construction with WPC then first do a online search on the composite’s that are available and what some of the pro’s and con’s are so that you can make an informed decision.

Here is a short list of some of the more popular Composite Deck Materials available :

Trex, Timbertech, Correct Deck, Choice Deck, Ultradeck, Veranda Decking and Lattitudes.

Fencing Repair Made Easy

Do it yourself fencing repair can be a challenge for the inexperienced but it doesn’t have to be. Knowing times are tough and as a thirty year veteran I will try to make fencing repair, changing rotted fencing posts and replacing panels in your fence doable for those who like to do it yourself and save money. I will address :

* Do it Yourself Fencing Repair

* Replacing rotted Fence Post

* Cedar fence Fence Post

* Treated Wood Post

* Galvanized Metal Fence post

* Changing a Wood Fence Picket

* Adding or Changing Fence Rail

There are as many How to Wood Fence and Fencing Repair as there are nails in fence pickets. The way that I describe here has worked for me here in the Dallas Texas metro area for many years.

Do it yourself fencing repair  : Is easy if you go about it the right way but is very hard if you go about it the wrong way and can get very frustrating and costly.

Replacing Rotted Fence Post : Replacing posts in Fence is one of the hardest things about fencing repair. I have seen DIYer’s try everything to get broken fence post out of the ground. One of my favorite is what I call the Grand Canyon. This is when a DIY will dig a hole so big around the fence post that they almost need a cement truck to bring in enough concrete to fill it. Have you ever dug a hole fence post ? If so use the concept of digging a 8 inch diameter hole for a fence post against the concrete of the old fence post about 2-2 1/2 feet deep. Then take a sharp shooter shovel to clear a little dirt from each side of the concrete. Use post hole digger to remove the little bit of dirt that you loosened. You now have a hole that is deep enough that with a little effort you can use a rock bar to lever the broken post and concrete into the hole you just dug so that it will be easy to lift out.

Put the new pole in the hole, take the old hard concrete and use as filler in the hole and put as much premixed wet concrete in, plumb the pole with a level. You can then wait 24 hors for the concrete to harden around the new fence post or you can nail the old or new fence panels to it and then use an old fence board to support it.

If you would like the easier way out then you can install a new fence post in next to the existing so that you do not have to dig the wood post out.

Cedar Fence Post : Cedar highly resistant to rot, decay, warping and bugs when used above ground. If it is saturated with moisture when installed in the  with concrete around it and dries out, it will shrink leaving a void that will take on water. This creates a premature rotting process. This can also happen at the ground level if the concrete is not poured to a level that will help repel the water away from the fence post. You can use a good weather treatment to soak the post end prior to installing to extend the like of a cedar fence post. I have used Behr and Olympic with good success.

Treated Wood Post  : Pressure treated wood post have a chemical that is resistant to rot. The tag on the end of the post at most retail chains like (Home Depot or Lowes) will tell you if it is good for ground contact. I have seen a lot of Landscape timbers used for posts in a fence. These usually do not have the proper treatment that will give it the rot protection so unless someone is on a very tight budget I will not recommend this type of wood post for fencing.  Pressure treated pine fence post can warp or check from drying and shrinking (looks like a split) . To minimize warping and twisting make sure that you attach the fence panels with the correct screws or nails. They need to be long enough to penetrate through the rail and the post by 2 1/2 – 3 inches. Also make sure that it is a Hot Dipped Galvanized screw or nail so that the chemicals in the wood do not deteriorate them.

I have seen that pressure treated wood post will last several years but can dry rot at the ground level but you can also minimize this by soaking the part that will come in contact with the ground in a good weather sealant.

Galvanized Metal Fence Post  : Galvanized Metal Fence Post are my choice to use for fencing a backyard or changing out a rotted fence post. When they are installed correctly they can last a lifetime. Diameter of the hole they are to be cemented in to should be 8 – 10 inches and the depth should be a minimum of 30 inches and up to 48 inches. The type of soil and ground condition will dictate this. They will cost a little more but in my opinion are worth the difference. Make sure that you get a heavy gauge like a .095 and put a dome cap on it so that it doesn’t act like a rain gauge. The appearance is not as natural as wood fence post but this can be easily but boxing it with fence board or two.

Changing a Wood Fence Picket  : Changing a Fence Picket is almost self explanatory. In the Dallas Texas metro the choices of fence pickets are starting with the best then to the last are Cedar (3-4 different grades), Composite ( recycled materials like Trex, Correct Deck ), Pressure Treated Yellow Pine, Fir, and White Pine ( These are all in the white wood category}.

Once again make sure that your screws or nails are of the proper length and either hot dipped galvanized or aluminum.

You can attach a fence board  to the top of the pickets or a nylon string to use to keep the top straight as you fasten them to the rails.

Adding or Changing Fence Rail  : I have had the most success changing a fence rail by leaving the fence panel attached to the post. Use a sawzall with a metal cutting blade. Slip the blade in between the rail and the post so you can cut the nails or the screws. Use a Wonder Bar and a hammer so that you can wedge it between the rail and the fence board. Pry the fence board away from the fence rail. Fllow the same procedure with all the fence boards. Take the fence rail out. Cut the new one to the same length. Drive the nails through the fence picket leaving the nail in. Insert the rail. Hammer to nails back into the fence rail. You then can use 3 1/2 inch hot dipped galvanized nail to hammer through the rail into the fence post.

If you are seeking a free custom fence or gate estimate in Dallas, Texas please contact us.