The owner of this north side Ft. Wayne property had been planning the upgrade to her outside living area for the past couple of years and she knew what she wanted when she called Archadeck of Northeast Indiana. It was easy for us to validate some of her decisions, modify others and recommend methods and materials, to help her with the deck part of her plan. She wrote towards completion of the project “Under your guidance my home is made brand new, architecturally more dramatic, cohesive and spectacular in appearance, the perfect bridge between indoor and outdoor, and will be more comfortable for me to live in for a long time.”
The back yard overlooks a large pond and nature area, but it also faces directly south, and the sun beat up the wood deck and made it uncomfortable to be outside. The owner also wanted the deck to be larger for more entertainment options and wanted it to wrap around the side of the house to service a large patio door that had never been used.
Before:
After:
She decided on the Azek Vintage Collection Decking in “Cypress” with “Dark Hickory” picture frame border. The pressure treated joists were set at 12” on center and the decking was laid in a diagonal pattern. The aluminum railing was Westbury VertiCable in “Bronze Fine Texture” to make sure the views were unobstructed as much as possible. For the security of the many small children that are part of the family, gates with spring hinges were specified at both openings to the deck. A drink rail from matching Azek decking was incorporated on top of the Westbury rail around the entire perimeter of the deck.
To make the outside living area more usable in the summer time, a DuraLux aluminum reinforced vinyl pergola was incorporated. The pergola featured angled 1×3 slats that should provide about 75% shade and still shed the snow in the winter.
Lots of details were incorporated into the design and build of this project, such as river rock over landscape fabric under the deck for low maintenance, matching vinyl post sleeves for the under-deck support posts, 6” aluminum posts at gate openings with “ball” caps, 12V LED pergola and gate opening lights, and 12V LED strip lighting under the drink rail. Part of the project included a sidewalk from the driveway to the new deck.
This large project turned out very well. The owner wrote us one morning…… “Building this bridge between the inside and the outside in such a grand manner and design has exceeded my expectations already in more ways than I anticipated. My world is expanded greatly to include more of the outdoor amenities, day or night, in a seamless way. Very natural and inviting, even at five in the morning. It was expressly peaceful. I feel like a new person in an enlarged new world that I am eager to fully explore with others in comfort.” We love working with great clients to help them achieve their dream!
Archadeck of Fort Wayne is northeast Indiana’s premier custom outdoor living design and build firm. Our forward-thinking designs are built to last, love and enjoy. If you are considering an outdoor space addition to your home or landscape, give us a call for a free consultation at (855) 931-4746.
