A backyard you actually want to sit in.

Patios & Decks in Leander, TX

A good deck or shaded patio nearly doubles the house in the months you can be outside, which in Central Texas is most of them. I build cedar and composite decks, pergolas and shade covers, and the stairs, railings and framing that go with them, on footings sized for my clay soil so it doesn't shift.

Already have a deck that's gone gray and splintery? I repair, re-board, re-rail and re-seal, and bring it back for a lot less than a rebuild.

What that includes

• Cedar and composite deck building
• Pergolas, arbors and shade covers
• Stairs, railings and privacy screens
• Concrete footings sized for clay soil
• Deck board, joist and railing repair
• Cleaning, sanding and re-sealing

How I go about it

1. Check the structure

   Posts, footings and the connection to the house. The ledger is the most important detail on a deck and the one most often done badly.

2. Choose material for the sun

   West-facing decks take the worst of it. Composite gets genuinely too hot to walk on barefoot in July. Worth knowing before you choose it.

3. Use the right fasteners

   Treated lumber is corrosive to the wrong screws. Fasteners rated for it, every time.

4. Build in drainage and movement

   Boards need gaps and water needs somewhere to go. Anywhere water sits is where rot starts.

5. Finish and tell you the upkeep

   Cleaned and finished, and I will tell you honestly what it needs every couple of years so you can choose materials that suit how you actually live.

I get asked for patios & decks most often in Jarrell, Jonestown, Volente, Lago Vista, Bertram.