Deck and Fence Construction Services

Deck and Fence Construction

A Deck Is Only as Good as Its Footings and Ledger

Most deck problems start underground or against the house. In Toronto the ground freezes to roughly four feet, so every footing is dug to below that depth and bears on undisturbed soil - a post set on a shallow pad or a precast block on the lawn gets lifted a little every winter and settles back unevenly every spring, which is what turns a flat deck into one that rocks and pulls away from the wall. Where the deck is attached to the house, the rim board is exposed, the ledger is bolted through it with structural screws or through-bolts rather than nailed, and it is flashed so rain running down the wall is carried over the ledger instead of into the house framing behind it. A ledger is never hung off brick veneer, because veneer is a cladding and not a structure; in that case the deck is built freestanding on its own beam and posts beside the wall. Framing is sized for the span, joists sit in hangers at sixteen inches on centre for standard decking and closer for diagonal boards, and every hanger, bolt and screw is hot-dip galvanized or stainless, since the copper in pressure-treated lumber corrodes plain steel within a few seasons. Cut ends of treated lumber get an end-cut preservative, because the factory treatment does not reach the core. In Toronto a deck more than 60 cm (24 inches) above the ground needs a building permit, and once the walking surface is that high it needs a guard - the permit is in place before a footing is dug, not applied for after the frame is up.

• Ground-level and raised decks in cedar or pressure-treated lumber
• Footings dug below the frost line and bearing on undisturbed soil
• Ledgers bolted and flashed to the house, or freestanding decks beside brick veneer
• Deck stairs with even risers, landings and through-bolted railings
• Permit and inspection support for decks over 60 cm above the ground
• Horizontal and vertical privacy fences with posts set below frost
• Gates with their own posts, diagonal bracing and self-closing hardware
• Board replacement, re-railing and re-staining of existing decks and fences