Every job below is one we do ourselves across Fullerton.
We frame new decks with pressure-treated joists set 16 inches on center, hung with galvanized hangers instead of toe-nails. Posts sit on footings sized for the load and for Fullerton's clay soil, not just a quick pour. We'll walk you through decking material options before anything gets ordered.
Bouncy boards, a cracked stair stringer, a ledger board coming loose from the house, we deal with all of it. We pull back the decking to see what the framing actually looks like before quoting a fix, because the visible problem is rarely the whole story. Sometimes a repair is two joists, sometimes it's the whole substructure.
Sun bleaches wood decking and rain gets into the grain if it's not sealed, so most decks require restaining every 2 to 3 years out here. We pressure wash first, let the wood dry fully, then apply a penetrating stain or sealer depending on the wood species. Skipping the drying step is how you end up with stain that peels in a year.
Multi-level decks, built-in benches, a deck that wraps around a pool or steps down to a sloped yard, we design around what your lot actually does. We'll show you a layout with real dimensions before cutting a single board.
Composite boards don't rot and don't require restaining, which is why a lot of homeowners switch after their second round of wood repairs. We install with hidden fastener systems so there's no screw heads showing on the surface. The framing underneath still has to be sized right, composite is heavier than wood and sags more between joists if they're spaced too far apart.
A railing that wiggles is usually a post that's lost its connection to the framing, not just a loose baluster. We rebuild railings to current code, 36 to 42 inches high with gaps no wider than 4 inches between balusters. We can match an existing style or replace the whole railing system.
If the frame underneath is still solid but the boards are cupped, splintered, or gray, we strip the decking and replace it without rebuilding the structure. It's faster and cheaper than a full rebuild when the framing checks out. We look at joist spacing while the boards are off either way.
Old decks come down fast, old nails and screws don't. We haul away the lumber and run a magnetic sweep of the yard before we leave, so you're not finding hardware in the grass months later.
Sloped yards around Fullerton often call for a deck that steps down in two or three levels instead of one big flat platform. Each level needs its own ledger and footing plan, and the stairs between them have to meet the same rise-and-run code as any other staircase in the house.
A pergola or solid cover over part of the deck cuts down on how much sun the boards take, which means less fading and fewer stain jobs over time. We attach to the existing deck framing or set separate posts, depending on what the structure underneath can carry.
Four steps, and no surprises in any of them.
You tell us what you want doing, we look at what is actually there, and we ask the awkward questions early.
In writing, itemised, free. If something might add cost later we flag it now rather than at the end.
Same crew throughout. We cover your floors, keep the dust down and tidy up before we leave each day.
You point out anything you are not happy with and we fix it before the invoice, not after.
We quote deck jobs throughout this part of Orange County.
Questions that come up once a deck project is actually underway.
Describe the problem and we will tell you what it probably is. No obligation.
