Since the Corona pandemic there has been an upswing in the home improvement sector, specifically DIY. Since people are home more, they are looking for ways to improve their home and even expand their living space. One such way is to build or expand their deck.

Unfortunately, depending on how big or fancy you go, your deck may come with a big price tag. For example, the typical pressure treated wood deck starts around $15 per square foot, including materials. If you want a more elaborate deck using quality hardwood or composite materials the cost increases to about $35 per square foot. ^1,2

But before you start building there are a few things to consider like home value. While typically a deck will improve your home’s value there is such as a thing as over-improving. You don’t want to spend too much on a deck that is too big that you will never recoup the cost, especially if you are not planning on living in the residence that long. ^1,2

According to Hanley’s Wood Remodeling Magazine, the national average for recouping deck building costs is 62%. So, if you spend $10,000 on your deck, you would be out $3800. ^1,2

With an increase in home value comes an increase in property taxes. So, you need to plan for that as well. Also, an increase in homeowner’s insurance to ensure your new structure is covered. ^1,2

Also don’t forget the permits, they cost money (around $500 average)³, but without them your township could force you to remove the deck especially if it isn’t built up to code.

Sources:

1. https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/outdoor-remodel/budgeting-for-a-deck
2. https://homeguide.com/costs/cost-to-build-a-deck#estimating
3. https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/architects-and-engineers/get-a-building-permit/

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Nothing attracts home buyers and boosts curb appeal like beautiful outdoor living spaces. Are you putting your home up for sale? Bring buyers running by dressing up your outdoor spaces with a magnificent, newly redone front porch or deck. These five tips will help you stage your home, which can boost your property value and lead to bigger offers from potential buyers. 

1. 1. 1. Light it Up
         Sophisticated light fixtures do more than light up your deck at night: they also add to the look of permanence and quality to your deck even in daylight. As decks have grown longer-lasting and more durable, deck lighting options have taken on a sophistication and beauty. Choose your deck lighting carefully to enhance the appearance and functionality of your deck. Attractive lighting options include:

         – Accent lights
         – Post cap light
         – In-deck Lighting

   2. Set a Scene
      Staging is about setting a scene and inviting buyers to use their imagination. Open your deck umbrella and set out lemonade on a table with paper cups for showings. Lay a paperback book beside the lemonade, and set up a chair to look out into the most attractive part of your yard. The subtle but obvious message to buyers: picture yourself enjoying this deck every day. This could be yours.
      
      
   3. Replace Upholstery
      Outdoor furniture upholstery has a way of changing over time. Even over the course of a single summer, cushions can change from bold and vibrant to pale and faded. Replace faded upholstery to make your furniture pop. Avoid colors that easily lighten in the sun, like bright reds and oranges. Clear blues and deep greens fare well even throughout a sunny summer. When choosing cushions, tie colors back to hues found in the environment. Match the cushions to your home siding, flowers in the landscaping and other objects nearby to create a unified deck.
   
   
   4. Install All-Wood Railing
      Many modern decks are made from an engineered wood product we call composite decking. While this material is functional, composite decking pales in comparison to the beauty of natural wood. Homeowners, aware of these shortcomings, have taken to installing natural wood railing around their composite decks. This look is trending all over the country, especially in high-end homes where homeowners may be seeking an advantage over their neighbors when the time comes to sell. Replace your old railing with natural wood inserts. The warmth and simple elegance of real wood holds the eye and gives buyers something to look at and admire.
   
   
   5. Enhance Your Deck Railing
      Fence Quarter creates prefabricated deck and porch railing inserts. To install natural wood railings on your composite deck, contact Fence Quarter to place an order.  

The post 5 Ways to Boost Curb Appeal with a Beautiful Deck appeared first on FENCE QUARTER.

1. Turn off lights when you leave a room.
2. Donate your old clothes and home goods instead of throwing them out. When you need something, consider buying used items.
3. Wash your clothes in cold water and when you can line dry them
4. Change your paper bills to online billing. You’ll be saving trees and the fuel it takes to deliver your bills by truck.
5. Plant a tree or donate a tree through our Canopy Project.

The post 5 Easy Earth Day Tips appeared first on FENCE QUARTER.

By Leslie Coffey

2020 is shaping up to be an exciting year for outdoor fixtures and furnishings. This year’s trends in outdoor decor focuses heavily on beautified, functional features that make your outdoor space more useful and attractive at the same time. Whether you’re building a new deck or remodeling an old one, here’s what to install on your deck or porch. 

Deck Lighting

Years ago, decks were only built to last for about a decade. Installing lighting on such a short-lived structure was not practical. As a result, light fixtures were attached to the house and decks were lit from above, not within.

Today’s decks are built to last 25 years or more. They’re a durable investment, and many of them are hardwired to the house to make lighting possible. Professionally constructed decks come with a variety of lighting options that make outdoor spaces a better place for entertaining. 

Companies like TimberTech, based in Illinois, now produce top-of-the-line deck light fixtures for consumers. Lighting options vary from riser lights to under-rail fixtures, allowing homeowners to create the mood and ambiance that fits their home. Soft ambient lights often require no permits and use minimal electricity, enabling homeowners to enjoy their deck long into the evening. 

Bringing the Indoors Out

Love of the outdoors has prompted homeowners to spend increasing amounts on the deck and patio. They spend so much time in their backyard that many new decks are built with an outdoor kitchen or living space attached. Living rooms outfitted with power for a television and gaming system create a space where everyone in the family can spend time. Kitchens with electricity, gas and water for cooking and cleaning are the perfect place for relaxing with family or friends. 

There are many contractors leading the charge in the construction of indoor/outdoor spaces. Color Works Studio, in West Bloomfield, Michigan has taken the lead with a recent project featuring a specially designed outdoor media area with a climate controlled space to protect the electronics. Outdoor construction must be weather proof to protect expensive pieces of equipment.  

Ceiling Fans

With indoor rooms making their way to outdoor decks, these spaces are increasingly covered and include ceiling fans for better air flow. Many consumers have happily latched onto this trend as they realize that ceiling fans offer more than comfort: they offer style as well. Companies like MinkaAire design ceiling fans that set the mood with flourish and finesse. Look at the Gauguin and Rainman models to see examples of the models that homeowners are happily installing on their outdoor decks and porches.  

Natural Wood Railings

The most visible portion of a deck is the railing, as the eyes want to look straight out, not down. While composite decking has become the go-to product for homeowners constructing their new deck in the last decade, many are going back to basics with natural wood railings.

Although composite decking is durable and long-lasting, wood decking is far more beautiful. Companies like Fence Quarter, based in Washington, are leading the charge on natural wood railings. “The only product that can truly imitate wood, is wood,” explains Christopher Price, President of Fence Quarter. 

Although wood does require more maintenance than composite material, Price is quick to point out that composite decking has its pros and cons. “It still requires maintenance, and it lacks the warmth and elegance of real wood.” Fence Quarter creates prefabricated deck and porch railing inserts, a trend that is taking off in the Pacific Northwest. 

Make Your Deck Standout

Decks and porches have come a long way in the last several years. With more options than ever before, homeowners are finding new ways to make their deck or porch a place of beauty. Before remodeling your deck, work with your contractor to explore the latest trends and add value to your home. 

Source

https://bct.eco.umass.edu/publications/articles/wood-myths-facts-and-fictions-about-wood/ – how long decks last

http://www.timbertech-europe.com/reference-website/about-us/news/press-releases/press-release00a9.html?PressReleaseId=902f3f49-07fa-4251-9f03-3b04efffaa0d – timbertech press release re lighting

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Time is money. If you’re a deck builder, you know better than anyone that use of time-saving materials means more money in your pocket. Fence Quarter provides everything you need to shave days off of your deck construction. 

1. Save Time with the Deck Railing Insert

Why install one baluster at a time when you can install huge sections of railing all at once? Fence Quarter’s deck railing inserts come pre-assembled from top quality lumber. You make the frame, we send the baluster insert. Each insert can be ordered in a custom size, ready to install on-site, or your carpenter can cut the sub rail ends upon arrival. Pre-primed and pre-painting services are available. Once the wood railing is in place, installation takes about an hour.

Deck railing inserts save countless hours, enabling you to move onto the next project. 

2. Skip the Measuring 

Fence Quarter’s MEASURE NOT is a pre-made insert that makes building rail frames easy and fast. To use, butt the MEASURE NOT to the underside of the attached main rail and clamp to each post in the Infill section. This enables you to create perfectly-sized main rail frames without worry of improper measurement. MEASURE NOT comes in three sizes, including 30.5″, 31.5″ and 32″. The MEASURE NOT is also available for stair risers. 

Contact Fence Quarter

Fence Quarter makes building a deck rail easy and fast. To get started installing natural wood railings in all of your deck building projects, contact Fence Quarter to place an order today. 

The post Deck Builders: 2 Ways to Maximize Efficiency with Fence Quarter appeared first on FENCE QUARTER.

Celebrate by cleaning your tools

Hand tools, especially heavily used ones, get greasy and dirty. While there are some fancy cleaners out there especially designed to clean them, you most likely have something more readily available—Dawn, dishwashing soap. Simply fill up a gallon bucket with hot water and add a teaspoon of Dawn. Using a sponge or dishrag, scrub your tools, then rinse them under running water. Do not soak your tools because it may damage them.

Got rust?

Some experts say you can clean rust from tools, by spraying the rusty surface area with WD-40, scrub with a scouring pad and wipe it clean. For heavily rusted metal, you can use an acid-based rust remover or use white vinegar or Coca-Cola. Simply, soak the tool for 24 hours. They should be rust free at this point. Just rinse the tools and dry. If they’re not rust free, repeat the same steps.

Pro-tip: Make sure you clean grease off the tools (see directions above) before immediately soaking it is vinegar or soda.

It’s electric

Electric tools, such as drills and sanders require a different type of care. You should always store them in their original case to keep them clean as well as dust free but with regular use they can become dusty.

To clean your power tools, use a shop vacuum to suck up the dust and debris. You should also use compressed air to clean out the vents, moving parts etc. For molded plastic, use a damp rag.

Got tools?

Perhaps your tools are already clean, but you need a different type of tool for your deck project. You should check out our selection of tools designed specifically to work with our deck railing inserts using our carbon fiber system. 

About Us

Fence Quarter designs and manufactures removable Deck and Porch Railing Inserts made from high quality lumber along with the tools to make installation a breeze. Visit us on the web at fencequarter.com

Sources:

https://dawn-dish.com/en-us/how-to-clean/using-dawn-as-a-hand-tool-cleaner

https://www.mybluprint.com/article/how-to-clean-tools

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/how-to/a14313/how-to-restore-rusted-old-hand-tools/

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-clean-power-tools/

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Inspecting your deck:

Winter and harsh weather conditions can cause damage to your deck. You should inspect your deck for loose, ill-fitting or rotten boards. You should also inspect to make sure your railings and joists are in good shape to avoid injuries. 

If your wood is in good shape, but a screw is loose, you can easily tighten it. However, if the wood has been damaged, it is best to replace it with a new piece of wood. Simply remove the screws, removed the damaged piece and use the existing board as a template to cut your new board. You can either pre-stain your wood before installation or stain the board along with the rest of your deck.

If there is severe damage to the boards or joists, it is best to call in a professional.

Cleaning:

Decks should be cleaned at least once a year to remove debris, mold and mildew. In some areas, like the Pacific Northwest, you also have to worry algae too. The best way to clean your deck is to sweep or vacuum it, then use a small putty knife to remove dirt and debris from in the cracks. 

Once you have cleaned your deck, you could pressure wash it gently on a light to medium setting going with the grain of the wood. There are cleaners that can be found at home improvement stores that are specifically made for wood as well as composite decking. Do not use a high power setting or you can damage the decking material.

Deck Staining:

According to HGTV, all wooden decks should be stained once a year starting with several months after it is installed. With some pressure treated lumber, you need to wait for 90 days before you can stain it. So, ask your carpenter how long you should wait.

If you are refinishing a deck, Home Depot suggested sanding the deck to remove the existing stain or sealer. Once you are finished sanding the deck it should be thoroughly vacuumed.

After your deck is cleaned, apply your stain or sealant using a roller or spray. Use a brush to clean up any drips. It is best to stain your deck when it is 50-90 degrees outside. But you should avoid staining your deck in direct sunlight. 

You should also make sure the there is no rain in the weather forecast for at least 24 hours. Avoid walking on your deck for at least 3 hours and do not put your belongings back on your deck for at least 24 hours.

As with any home improvement project, safety first. Don’t forget to wear your safety goggles, long pants and other protective gear to avoid injury.

When it comes to the life of your deck, maintenance and care is very important. But starting with quality products like Alaskan Yellow Cedar as well as Sherman Williams paints and stains can extend the life of your decking. That’s why we use these products in our deck railing inserts and we hope that you will consider using our products for your next decking project.

For more information about Fence Quarter Deck Railing Inserts or the quality products we just to create our products email [email protected]

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Popular Materials for Railings: There are quite a few Companies who offer great railing systems, from cable, to aluminum and glass to composites. These Companies who offer an engineered railing system are required to have an accredited third-party test and rate their deck railings to ensure your safety and to prevent lawsuits; in this way they can claim their products are code compliant. These types of products are increasing in numbers; however, wood railings are still today holding a comfortable lead in the number one use of material.

Most Used Material, even Today: Wood is often used because it is more economical, which is understandable. However, it is not a product you can just simply go and purchase readily. Sure, there are some wood railings you can find at the Big Box Stores, but you should be very concerned using such products, as much as you should be concerned on how the typical wood railings are assembled on site, one piece at a time! When you are purchasing a wood railing system, it comes with the top rail and bottom rail and quite frankly it is more often than not poorly made with nail fasteners and locations where rot will creep on the lumber faster than if a different design were used, not to mention the poor choice in lumber and knots that are found on these products. Just be careful when considering these products for your deck and ask to see their rating and third party testing information.

The Construction of Your Wood Railing: (fig 1.) Your typical wood deck railing consists of vertical 2”x2” lumber or balusters, mostly made from cedar in the West Coast and Cypress in the East Coast. These balusters are attached to the bottom and top rail. The bottom and top rails are attached to the posts, and obviously the posts are attached to the deck. Each of these are dependent upon the structure and integrity of the next in that order. Hence there are three critical connections a contractor should take very seriously. If the contractor does not take care in correctly assembling the railing and a 200lb person slips and falls against the railing, a person could fall through and become seriously injured, or worse.

The general IRC or International Residential Code regulates what the building codes should be, however you should always check with your local area for any additional code changes. When you surf through the internet, you will find varying quotes on what the code is, however per the IRC Code your balusters should hold a load of no less the 125 lbs per square foot. This means two things, your connection to the upper and lower rails should be strong, e.g. screws vs. nails and what is not found anywhere, and is our rule of thumb, is the KR, or Knot Ratio (fig. 2)

This is where every knot in a baluster should not be greater than 25% of the cross section of the lumber where the knot is located, giving the remaining 75% of the surface to be your strong point. Your rails should be attached to the posts very well. Often toe nailing a screw from the rail to the post is the most commonly accepted practice, but incorrectly attached could cause it to fail if someone where to lean on it. The IRC Code requires a Horizontal and Vertical force of no less than 125 lbs. to the Top Rail, and 200 lbs. of force against each post and the center of the Top Rail. One of the best methods is to place your top rail on top of the posts and screw directly downward into each post, plug and sand. Although this method suggests a particular look or design, it can be very attractive and is worth considering.

Of course, there are other standard codes like if the deck is higher than 30” from the lower ground, you must have a guard rail, a deck railing must be a minimum of 36” high from the deck surface, the bottom rail may not be more than 4” above the deck surface and the balusters shall not exceed a distance from each other of 4”. Stair railings do have some variations of which your Contractor will know.

When a wood deck railing is assembled one piece at a time, you must remember that a Contractor is always pushing the clock to be done with the project as soon as they can. That is how they make money. They are biases towards moving onto the next project, so some may make compromises to achieve completion. The process to install literally hundreds of balusters one at a time can certainly become mundane, so ensure the contractor does a good job. There is typically no field testing and certainly no third party testing in a controlled environment, so you or the inspector is your last defense to ensure the job is correctly done, your safety depends on it.

Written by: Christopher Price, President of Fence Quarter, LLC

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