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KLEERWRAP Postwraps

March 24, 2013 Written by Robert Robillard Leave a Comment
KleerWrap Post Wraps

KLEERWRAP Postwraps Save Installation Time and Money KleerWrap  a Westfield, Massachusetts company and American manufacturer of cellular PVC trim products, decking, moldings, and PVC sheet stock recently introduced  an easy, cost-effective and fast way to wrap support posts with PVC trim. Called the  KLEERWrap Post Wrap, all a contractor has to do is cut the Post Wrap to length, wrap it around the post and then apply a small bead of KLEER … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Columns, Decks, Decks And Porches, PVC Trim Tips, Rot and Insect Damage

Is Your Deck SAFE?

October 17, 2012 Written by Robert Robillard 19 Comments
Photo credit: blog.ufpi.com

Photo source: Simpson Strongtie Building A Safe Deck: It's important to make sure your deck is built right and safe! Most experts agree that the average life expectancy of a wood deck is 10 to 15 years but we all know many decks that are still standing and alot older than that. It is estimated that there are millions of decks in the U.S. that are beyond their useful life and may be unsafe. Deck collapses have increased in recent years. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Decks, Home Repairs And Remodeling, Home Safety

Deck Safety Retrofit

October 16, 2012 Written by Robert Robillard 12 Comments
deck joists connection

Deck Safety Retrofit:  Deciding whether to retrofit or replace your deck There are approximately 40 million decks in the United States and only half of those are code compliant.  Deck safety is a real problem. Every year we hear about decks that collapse under the weight of people or snow load. If you have an existing deck that is more than 3 years old you should have it inspected for safety issues and make necessary deck maintenance … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Decks, Decks And Porches, Fasteners, FastenMaster®

Building A Roof Deck

October 3, 2012 Written by Robert Robillard 2 Comments
Building A Roof Deck

  Roof Deck Construction   A client recently asked if I would replace her badly worn out roof deck. This wooden deck was built over her screen porch and on top of a flat roof. It’s not really flat: it’s pitched ¼’ per foot but without a spirit level you can’t really tell.  Years of neglect and lack of gutter coverage above the deck had destroyed not only the deck but a window and the sidewall as well. The Value Of A Roof … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Decks, Decks And Porches, Design / Architecture

Deck Sanding

July 18, 2012 Written by Robert Robillard Leave a Comment
deck sanding

How Deck Sanding Can Improve Your Home’s Resale Value Did you know that deck sanding can dramatically increase the resale value of your home? This DIY tutorial teaches you how to do deck sanding easily. Real estate agents use many techniques to increase the resale value of homes and deck sanding is one of them. Unfortunately many homeowners are not aware of such techniques and when they are looking forward to sell their home, maintenance … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Decks

DeckWrap

April 16, 2012 Written by Robert Robillard 2 Comments
DeckWrap

DeckWrap Self-Adhering Protective Wrap: DeckWrap tape can save your deck Joists from rot as well as create a valuable redundancy layer under your ledger flashing. On every deck repair I have done the number one reason I end up replacing an existing deck is due to ROT caused by poor flashing and construction methods.  Using  DeckWrap can help you protect and prolong the life of your project. [Photos Right] What Is DeckWrap? DeckWrap is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Decks, Flashing Issues

Replacing A Rotting Porch

November 24, 2011 Written by Robert Robillard 1 Comment
wood porch repair

Everything has a lifespan ~ choose your materials to last: This week we were called to a home to repair a porch.   As soon as I saw this porch listing to the right it was obvious that non-pressure treated wood was used. I broke the news to the homeowner that we would need to completely re-build her porch from scratch.  What many people do not grasp is that it sometimes  involves more money trying to repair something that is too far gone, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Decks, Exterior Repairs, Fasteners, FastenMaster®, House Flashing, Rot Repair, Uncategorized

Steel Deck Framing System

November 16, 2011 Written by Robert Robillard Leave a Comment
Trex elevations Iron Deck

Steel Deck Framing System eliminates the need for pressure treated wood deck frames Trex Elevations™  will manufacture and market new Trex Elevations Steel Deck Framing – a deck framing system that offers   superior longevity performance and aesthetics as Trexdecking and railing products. Trex Elevations is a dual-coated, galvanized steel, which not only looks great but is stable and lasts along time too.  Because it is steel it  … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Decks, Decks And Porches, Fasteners, Steel Deck