What better way to highlight our deck services than by going through a project from beginning to end?
Follow along with us as we go through our Deck Spotlight of the month: Deck Floor Replacement in Brentwood, TN
The Deck Consultation
We spoke with the customer about the options of replacing or repairing his deck. When he told us this was a rental property and budget was a priority, we opted for a Repair. He wanted his tenants to be able to enjoy the deck, and him not worry about them falling through.
Simple enough!
We informed the customer that while we recommend a repair, sometimes there is more damage than what meets the eye. We would need to pull a few boards up to check the damage underneath to ensure there were no structure concerns needing to be addressed.
The Deck Inspection
Upon inspection, we saw a few boards that were broken and rotting. You cannot "fix" a broken board. You replace the board, which is not to be confused with "replacing the entire deck".
It was clear this deck in Brentwood, Tennessee was in major need of new floor boards!
Upon further inspection, and pulling up a couple deck boards to check underneath, we determined the joists were indeed safe and of no concern at the moment!
This thorough inspection confirmed that replacing deck boards was the right repair for both the home and the customer.
We cannot stress this enough - it is important to make sure your deck is structurally sound before choosing the repair option.
The Deck Quote Process
Now, the customer called us with the intention of "replacing a few boards" and luckily he was a pretty understanding guy! We explained that if you are replacing half of the floor boards, you need to replace the entire flooring for the sake of continuity and life span.
There could be boards "close to rotting" that you may miss if only some were replaced. Looking at the age and wear of the deck, we knew the best option was to replace all the boards, including the stairs.
We calculated current prices at Home Depot and our local lumber store, our labor hours, and all odds and end materials needed and sent this to the customer via hands-free emailed invoice. There he was able to review, make notes, and accept the estimate all from the convenience of his smart phone.
Although it was more "deck repair" than what this Brentwood, TN customer had originally expected, he saw how much money he was saving going the repair route, verses replacing the entire deck.
He was happy with our quote and opted for the project full steam ahead!
The Deck Order and Delivery
This deck remodel consisted of over 840 feet of pressure treated wood to make up the platform and additional 16 steps. That's a lot of wood!
We usually have the materials delivered to the customer's home 2-4 days pre-delivery so that the wood has time to breathe. If it is expected to rain, we will come out to the home to cover all materials with a tarp or place in a better location protected from the rain.
In this case, the delivery was actually mixed up with Home Depot. They sent HALF of a completely different order in conjunction with HALF of this order.
So, it took a little extra investigation and handling on our part to coordinate the proper materials were delivered to all orders.
Of course, when this happens, Nashville Lawn and Order handles everything from the pick up to any extra delivery fees. This delay did however cause a 3-day delay in the estimated build time.
We began the deck repair in Brentwood 3 days past schedule, to which the customer was very understanding about and gave us their full fledge trust to handle and accomplish.
Alas, The Deck Build!
Removing the rotten deck boards was all in a day's work.
Literally. The demo, deck and stair build took us a total of three days to complete with a 4 man crew.
When we repair a deck we try to opt for the same design and shape the deck was originally. We will copy the pattern and layout to best match the way the deck was before.
One interesting feature about this deck is the thumb nail railing (see picture below) that was previously installed. We knew we would have to replace a section of this railing due to rot and it is our job to match the cut and style.
Little did we know, just how custom this railing was.
It has a round over edge made with this special tool called a router. We bought a 1/2” quarter round bit for the router and learned how to make the ridge match perfectly, which turned out to be 1/8th of an inch.
We actually practiced on old decks boards for a good hour on that third day to make sure we got the perfect cut. We made edges on these boards until we could figure out the exact setting that would give us the very same look and measurement as the old railing.
Because again, it is our mission to match your old deck as closely as possible during a deck repair.
We cut the 2x6 piece of wood to match the space we needed to replace. We made sure the angles lined up, (we use a contractors protractor to figure out the right angle) and then use the mixer saw to cut the exact angle. Note when you do railings, the wood should match surface to surface. Which is even more reason for your measurements and cuts to be exact.
Then we routed the edges with the newly learned technique so that the curved trim would match the stair exiting railing. See the finished product above.
Deck Railing, accomplished.
New Skillset, mastered.
The Deck Reveal
Typically, we inform the customer that their deck is finished and provide a walk through. We show the customer the work we did, any specifics to the job or areas to take note of. At this point we also go through aftercare measures- things like waiting six weeks before staining or painting and whether or not sealing is recommended.
At this point, we also want to make sure the customer's needs were met and their deck is at or above their expectations.
This specific deck customer was out of the country at the time and was able to do a virtual walk-through. We were glad to accommodate and informed him to keep in touch when he was back in town if there were any questions or concerns at all.
So there you have it- the entire deck repair process in Brentwood, TN from your friends at Nashville Lawn and Order. And yes, we do have the same enthusiasm as Chip. Gosh we love their shows.
If you are interested in discussing a deck repair or remodel, please give us a call or fill out our consult form here and one our team members will get in touch with you asap. Thank you for your continued support, Nashville!