No matter how well you plan a project, how excited you are, or how hard you work, unexpected things find their way to cause you a headache. In our experience, here are 5 things that will make you smack your forehead and say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

discovery

Rot behind ledger

There was no flashing behind the ledger of this deck. That’s usually true on ALL decks we demo.

Rot behind stairs

This was the first hint that this deck was bringing water into the house.

Rot on commercial landings

Thick paint and multiple repairs hid this rot from our initial inspections. Once we started demo, we knew we couldn’t use these.

Piers not buried

You’d be shocked how often this happens. Piers are usually not to code. These piers were setting on the ground.

Septic lines not connected

These septic tank lines had no glue or coupler. Allowing sewage into the soil next to the house.

When remodeling, you have the special challenge of removing what is old. This usually happens during demo or the excavation phases. You rip down the deck, only to learn the last builder had no idea what they were doing, leaving you with new problems to solve.

Two common issues found in discovery:

(These are so common, we’ve begun to expect them on every project)

Bad waterproofing. When you attach the deck to your home, you must make sure there is proper flashing installed to prevent water from getting behind the deck parts. If you don't, water gets behind your siding and into your walls, rotting, weakening, and damaging your structure, insulation, and electrical components. You wanted to build a deck, but instead, you’re making repairs to make your house whole again. Draining the budget just to get back to square one.
Piers aren’t deep enough (or aren’t buried at all). We have never demolished a deck where the piers were deep enough to code. Digging and concrete is expensive, so builders just…don’t.

A note on why people get away with bad building practices: When using wood to replace your wood deck, no state permit or inspection is required.

This means builders and handymen can cheat building codes and standards. This gives them the ability to skimp on materials and work… and never get caught. You can’t tell the piers aren’t deep enough, or that they didn’t waterproof your walls.

It’s all hidden, never inspected, and it’s only the problem years later.

→ They saved money. → You got ripped off. → You can’t prove it.

Steel structures require engineering and a State permit. So not only does a licensed professional engineer stamp your design, but the entire design is inspected in phases along the way.

Site Recovery

This client opted to change their driveway route. They reduced the slope by 11%, and got rid of a nasty hairpin turn toward the house. (You can see the old driveway path if you look closely)

Construction projects can take a toll on your property. Specifically the driveway and the walkway to the actual work site. Plan to recover your driveway and have some pavers or grass seed available for worn walkways.

→ A bonus that stems from this “problem”, is that you can take this time to improve or upgrade your driveway. Change the route, add signage, and improve drainage. Our recent deck client took this opportunity, and reduced the slope of his driveway by 11%, while also removing a harsh hairpin turn toward the driveway. You can see the old driveway path if you look carefully.

Change Orders

The project starts, you know what you want, and you’re getting it. Then you see our crew standing steel with a big telehandler…

You think, “That could reach that roof spot I've been worried about.”

So you ask, “Is there any way you guys could also get those panels fixed while you’re up there?”

Yes, we can. But…

→ We planned for that telehandler to be here for a certain period of time, and now we are going to have to bump another project back to bring it back.

→ You’ll also pay extra shipping costs on a small order of roof panels that could have been added to our metal order.

Thinking of the “honey-do” list before a big project is the perfect time to get those things done efficiently. Not only do you get the awesome project you wanted, but all the little things in the back of your mind go away, too. (AND you don’t overspend by paying change orders).

Planning the little things in the scope at the beginning saves you a lot of time and money.

Furniture / Accessories

We used extra decking and rail material to build 2 benches to match this clients furniture.

“Your new deck is ready!” The text pops up on your phone. You know the next time you come to Angel Fire you’ll get to enjoy it!

You plan a trip, drive all the way here, walk onto your deck and then ask…”Where do we sit?” You remember you asked for your old furniture to be thrown out, it was falling apart. But you forgot to get new furniture.

Now you must go through these steps*:

Order furniture that matches and fits
Order lights or a firepit (or both)
Get it to the house
Carry it up the stairs
Unbox everything
Build all the furniture
Plumb in the firepit
Plug in and run all the lights
Throw away all the boxes and wrapping

*all without scratching your rails or decking.

You spend an entire weekend working on furniture…and you realize → You just had a crew of craftsmen at your house with tools, lifting equipment, and a dumpster. They could have done all of this 10x faster.

We can help you pick furniture that fits, plan your lights, firepit hookups, hot tub placement, and get everything set up for you. You don’t lift a finger.

Come home, enjoy your deck.

A planning note: We can do all of this before your rails are on, so there is no risk of scratching, and everything goes up smoothly. This is an opportune time to have your hot tub delivered or placed back onto your deck.

photography

When it’s all said and done, you want to show off your project. Instead of hunting down a photographer we provide you professional photography of your project.

Your project looks good. It looks WAY better than your home did before. You want new photographs to show off your home’s new look. Whether that’s for a rental listing, your own personal use, or for record keeping, finding and hiring a photographer to take a picture of just one side of your home could be cost prohibitive.
We take pictures, not just as daily logs, but we will give you professional photographs and drone photos/videos of your property. Use them for your listing, give them to your realtor if you sell, or show them off to your friends.

Bonus:

Propane firepits aren’t boring anymore. With Archangel Fire Pits, built by Double Black Design right here in Angel Fire, you can have a year round, burn ban friendly fire that keeps you warm and looks amazing.

Qualifying Deck remodel clients get these FREE when they cover the plumbing to the firepit location.