Blogs

Covered patio or deck designs enhance open-air living experiences and increase the time people spend outdoors. As such it continues to be a popular homeowner investment. As more buyers are clamoring for alfresco dining, entertaining, and family time, they search for local artisans to craft their vision. Covered Deck Ideas to Consider Craftsmen create outdoor living rooms, decks with tiered views and screened-in sunrooms that soak up the sun. They’ll handcraft lattice-like pergolas and bold wraparound decks for greater privacy and spaces to entertain. Roof extensions, practical awnings, pretty pergolas, stand-alone gazebos, custom built pavilions, shade sails, cooking awnings, louvered...

Deck designs are aesthetically pleasing and create a better space for homeowners while adding major value to the home. Adding a deck that’s thoughtfully designed and about 20 percent the size of your home will improve the livability and features of the abode. Decks are valuable because they blur the line between inside and out, capture the view of your land, and create a comfortable outdoor room without increasing the square footage to the home itself. Plus, many homeowners get excited about upgrading worn-out finishes, materials, and surfaces. A thoughtfully designed deck creates borders that are neatly separated and often...

A pergola on a deck is a simple outdoor structure that blurs the boundary between inside and out while providing overhead shade. This addition is great for families who want to be outside during peak sun times without scorching. The canopy and rafters minimize sunlight for a few hours each day. The space and size of pergola’s louvers and lattice give different amounts of shade or sunlight and transforms your deck into a partially shaded outdoor room. Lancaster County deck builders are mavericks at creating these sturdy outdoor structures. Each pergola can be freestanding and close to the house or...

We’ve built countless above ground pool decks over the years and we wanted to give you some of the key details on how we’re exercising creativity, best practices, and superior products, to create the above ground pool deck of this client’s dreams. How Did We Build this Small Deck for an Above Ground Pool? We build this above ground pool deck by digging holes and putting in concrete footers. We then buried #1 grade pressure treated Southern Pine 6X6 posts into the ground. This is an important detail because pressure treated lumber is designed to ward off termites, microorganisms, and...

Pool decks crop up all across the American landscape and look amazing on above ground pools and below. They’re wildly popular with more than 3.5 million scattered across the countryside. These decks can be constructed from various materials including Ipe, Pressure Treated Southern Pine, Cumuru, Cedar, Mahogony, composite, vinyl capped composite, and vinyl. We’ve poured through our creations to show you four pool decks in various materials that’ll inspire you to take action today. Above Ground Pool Deck with Matching Lattice When our customer wanted a pool deck with matching railings and lattice work to encircle their above ground pool,...

RadianceRail is a premier Vinyl Deck Railing manufactured by CPG Building Products. They are now sold under the brand name Azek, but for years were sold as Timbertech Radience Railings. This change happened in 2015 after CPG who owned Azek, bought out Timbertech decking and railing brands. Regardless of the name that appears on the boxes, this remains a top of the line deck railing for several reasons. Aesthetically, it has a big, strong profile with it’s 5” square posts and thick railings. From a performance standpoint, I don’t know of another Vinyl Deck railing available in the darker colors...

As the popularity of outdoor living continues to grow, we are getting more and more requests for outdoor kitchens and fireplaces to go on our decks. Being avid grillers who love to entertain outdoors ourselves, we are happy to help you create your ideal outdoor living space. We have recently found a source for quality, outdoor kitchen cabinets. These durable, aluminum cabinets are available in 3 colors, black, white, & ash. They are powder coated to withstand any conditions, and the drawers are water tight. These cabinets can be paired with any type of countertop, such as granite, stone, or...

Can I get deck railings to match my deck floor exactly? This is a question we often hear from prospective clients. Most manufacturer’s of vinyl (PVC) decking, do not make a railing that matches their deck colors. Some clients needed their deck floor and railings to match because of their HOA. Some really like the railing and floor matching for aesthetic reasons. So about 5 years ago, we put our Lancaster County craftsmen to work figuring out a way to build a great-looking, long-lasting, deck railing to match the decking that we use. We came up with a great custom...

You probably drive by dozens of decks and porches during your daily commute. If you were to pay close attention to the railings on each of them, it’s likely that you will see most of them have some type of vinyl deck railing. It is by far the most popular of all exterior railing choices. One of the big reasons for this railing’s popularity is that you never need to paint or stain it. The durable vinyl has a lifetime warranty for color and structure. Price is another reason. Compared to other synthetic railings like fiberglass or aluminum, vinyl railings...

We have built a lot of Pergolas over the years, and while they provide some shade from the sun when it is overhead. They do little to keep the intense afternoon sun from beating in the sides, even if you have added a canopy to it. We have recently found an affordable source for beautiful, quality, shade curtains. These curtains can be installed on one, or all sides of your pergola. They are custom made to fit your pergola, and are available in several different colors. They are raised and lowered with a cord, just like indoor curtains. The curtains...