Posted in: Screen Porch, Decks in Virginia, Deck Contratcors, Deck Building Tips, Screen Porch in Maryland, hire a decking contractor, deck builders, patio questions, how to build a patio, home additons, deck questions, upscale deck features, deck topics, porch topics, decking questions, Deck Care, decks in Washington, D.C., Screened Porch in Virginia, home improvement, Hire a Contractor, Screen Room, Georgetown, screened porch in Washington, DC, Screened-in Porch, piertech, custom deck, screen room addition, screen room ideas, screen room design, screen porch design
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Home construction projects often have a reputation for taking longer (and costing more) than originally anticipated. This becomes especially pronounced when the project is a significant undertaking, such as foundation work. With the PierTech footer system, however, new construction installs, as well as foundation repair work, can be done significantly faster than the traditional wood and concrete system.
Posted in: home additons, deck questions, upscale deck features, high-end deck features, deck topics, deck materials, Deck Care, decks in Washington, D.C., deck waterproofing, Porch and Deck Care, outdoor accessories, home improvement, rooftop decks, Tile Decks, rooftop decks in Washington, DC, building a rooftop deck, Archatrak, porcelain, deck pavers, porcelain pavers, Deck tiles, Georgetown, rooftop deck design, custom deck
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
If you’re familiar with the Archatrak brand, you most likely know them for their elegant and versatile porcelain pavers. The brand, however, has a lot of exciting products and innovative applications that will be available in the New Year. Here’s a quick look at some of what Archatrak will offer in 2020.
Posted in: Deck Screens, Deck Design, retractable screen porch, low-maintenance decking, deck topics, deck boards, Deck Care
Friday, April 05, 2019
One of the most common questions we hear at Design Builders is: "How will my deck hold up over time?" It's a smart question—you're investing $20,000 to $80,000 in your outdoor space, and you want to know it'll still look great years down the road.
Today, we're revisiting several decks we built 3-5 years ago in Montgomery County and Fairfax County to show you exactly how different materials age in our Maryland and Virginia climate. No marketing hype, no staged photos—just real-world results from actual client projects.
Composite Decking After 3 Years: The Clear Winner for Low Maintenance
We built a 480 square foot Trex deck in Bethesda in spring 2022. The homeowners chose the Havana Gold color in Trex's Transcend line. Here's what it looks like after three Maryland summers:
The Good:
The Not-So-Good:
Maintenance Required: Zero. Literally just occasional power washing.
Client's Assessment: "We'd build it the same way again in a heartbeat. The lack of maintenance alone is worth the investment."
Pressure-Treated Wood After 3 Years: Depends Heavily on Maintenance
In 2021, we built a 600 sq ft pressure-treated pine deck in Gaithersburg. The homeowner chose natural wood specifically because he enjoys the maintenance ritual and wanted the authentic wood look.
With Annual Maintenance (This Client):
Without Proper Maintenance (We've Seen Others):
Maintenance Required:
Client's Assessment: "I love working on it each spring. It's therapeutic for me. But I totally understand why people choose composite."
TimberTech (Azek) After 3 Years: Premium Performance
One of our Potomac clients chose TimberTech's Azek Vintage collection in Mahogany for their 520 sq ft deck in early 2022. This is the premium end of composite decking.
The Results:
Maintenance Required: Quarterly washing with mild soap and water
Client's Assessment: "Worth the extra investment. We're outside constantly and it still looks perfect."
Ipe (Brazilian Hardwood) After 3 Years: Beautiful But High Maintenance
We built an Ipe deck in Chevy Chase in 2020. At over $16 per square foot just for materials, this 400 sq ft deck represented a significant investment.
With Proper Oiling (Twice Yearly):
Without Oiling (We've Seen Examples):
Maintenance Required:
Client's Assessment: "It's absolutely beautiful and we love it, but the maintenance is real. If we were building again, we'd seriously consider high-end composite."