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If your home were perched up above Lake Tobosofkee and you had the perfect view of the lake, could anything be better? Let’s add a pool to that equation. Now you can take a dip in the pool and enjoy the lake view when you come up for air. But… what if you actually had some room to sit poolside where you could also enjoy the view of the lake?

Take a look!

Building a deck on the side of a steep hill is not without its challenges. Pouring deck footings is fairly straight forward while on flat land but on a steep slope, there are factors such as keeping the concrete from sliding down the hill until it sets. For this we used Sono tubes.

Another factor in setting footings on the side of a hill is they need to be dug deeper to support the weight of the elevated deck. At Archadeck, we have a national drafting team that designs the architecture of all of our structures to exceed that of local building codes.

As Archadeck of Central GA is a design and build firm, we take every detail into account. These include design details, materials details and most importantly, making sure your space supports how you want to live.

Looking at the photo above, you can see the stairs that descend from deck level. Below you can see that the stairs help create a safe walking path down the sleep slope that leads to the lake.

In terms of material selection, a popular alternative option to pressure-treated pine is composite or synthetic wood. This lovely yard is filled with mature trees. The trees ensure that the deck does not have a high level of direct sunlight. Direct sunlight ages natural wood at a rapid pace. Because that will not be a factor here, we were able to use pressure-treated southern yellow pine for the decking material and it came out beautifully.

If you are considering adding a deck, porch, pergola or other outdoor living space to your home give Archadeck of Central GA a call for a free consultation. If you choose to work with us, you will benefit from our extensive knowledge of local building trends and traditions, as well as our rock-solid relationships with other local tradesmen. Check out our reviews and reputation in the community. We are happy to provide you with references for any kind of job you are considering. Call: (478) 745 – 2000. Email: centralgeorgia@archadeck.net. Or visit our website http://central-georgia.archadeck.com/

Paver patios & hardscapes

The best project for your budget

September 24, 2015 admin

I won’t say that the relationship you have with your contractor before and during the building process for your new outdoor living space is more important than the end result, but it’s darned close. It’s critical that any builder you work with will listen and respond to your needs and your plans for how you want to use your Macon or Warner Robins deck or patio. They should also educate you about some design options and materials in a way that doesn’t make you feel pressured to out-spend your budget.

On a recent patio project, we worked with the owner of a new home to create a patio to complement her existing Kathleen screened porch. We discussed the possibility of using pavers but we also made sure to make sure she knew that she had other options. Cement is an affordable option and was perfect for this Kathleen patio.

Our customer had a short wish list of requirements for the space and this design met them all. She has a place to stretch out on her lawn chair. It’s perfect for her portable fire pit and gas grill. There is ample room for several chairs and a table if she wants to eat outside with friends. And, several times a day, it gives her two active dogs a path in and out of the house, keeping them from wearing a trench in her grass.

We also gave her a great construction experience. We took down two sections of fence to allow access for the cement truck using a path that minimized potential damage to her lawn. When the truck was gone, the fence went back up– good as new. Anyone who wasn’t there that day would never know it had been moved. Archadeck made sure she knew when to expect our crew each day and our team cleaned up before leaving each night. We pride ourselves on disrupting our customers lives and homes as little as possible. We are also careful to be respectful of any surrounding neighbors.

We can’t promise that every aspect of every job will go perfectly, but we will always do everything in our power to get it right the first time and to fix it fast if we don’t. That includes each contact from our initial site visit to assess your property and discuss your project to the successful completion and walk through. Your satisfaction with both the project and the process are our top priority.

Archadeck of Central Georgia is proud to have been serving Macon and Warner Robins homeowners for more than a dozen years. If you choose to work with us, you will benefit from our extensive knowledge of local building trends and traditions, as well as our rock-solid relationships with other local tradesmen. Check out our reviews and reputation in the community. We are happy to provide you with references for any kind of job you are considering. Call: (478) 745 – 2000. Email: centralgeorgia@archadeck.net. Or visit our website for more great patio pictures in the Macon, Warner Robins and Central GA area.

Paver patios & hardscapes

Even concrete isn’t forever…so what’s next?

September 21, 2015 admin

There is nothing that says permanent like a good, solid slab of concrete. But even well-laid concrete starts to crack and deteriorate over time. It also can leave much to be desired when it comes to aesthetics. You don’t often hear people bragging about how you should stop by and see what a beautiful rectangle of gray concrete they have in their yard. So, if you have an aging concrete patio in your backyard and you are ready for an upgrade, what’s the next step? Archadeck of Central GA just refurbished an old concrete patio and we literally gave it a lift.

Part of the problem with the original patio was that it had considerably settled over time to create a significant enough gap that you could see the aggregate underneath. Slab concrete requires more maintenance than the pavers we installed and it’s easy to see that the Belgard look is far superior. Belgard also has an industry-leading warranty on its materials, something concrete can’t offer.

For these Gray paver patio clients, the answer was Belgard Lafitt™ pavers from their natural collection. This engineered stone combines the look and feel of a patio with a similar strength and durability to the concrete that previously served the home for so long. The modular pavers can be laid out in a variety of patterns and the blocks from this line come from a color palette selection that includes Amaretto, Bella, Danville Blend, and Sable Blend. All of them fit in beautifully with natural earth and stone tones in the surrounding home environment.

We built Weston Wall blocks around the perimeter. Once we had that level where we wanted it and mortared into place, we put in a layer of aggregate and got everything tamped, leveled and prepared for the pavers. By the time the process was complete, we actually eliminated a whole step coming down from the house. The combination of the site preparation and the thickness of the pavers brought the patio up by that much.

We also added Fortress powder coated aluminum railings to create an attractive and safer access path between the patio and the house. Even though icy days are few and far between in Georgia, it’s never fun to take a spill on a concrete stairway. We replaced railroad ties that had been used as a transition from the old patio to the driveway with Weston stone as well. These last two details are the kind of finishing touches that really make a project stand head and shoulders above other makeover jobs.

Porches, Professional outdoor structure builder

A long awaited pool pavilion comes to fruition for these Macon GA homeowners

September 1, 2015 admin

When Macon area residents call about adding a new outdoor space to their yard, sometimes they know exactly what they want and sometimes they have an idea but look forward to the process of seeing that idea translated to the perfect outdoor space.

These Macon homeowners not only knew what they wanted but they knew several years ago. In fact, they even secured approval from the HOA several years prior. Now they were ready to have their pool pavilion built. Many pool owners want a shaded area near their pool. But, they wouldn’t be pool owners if they didn’t enjoy a huge splash of direct sunlight. That’s why an open pavilion or open porch is the perfect space for them. The roof allows for sun protection but the open gable still allows plenty of light under their covered space.

When we originally met with the homeowners, there was only one thing we suggested changing about their original building plan. The plan called for the open gable end facing away from the pool. Based on the sun’s direction and the beauty of the open gable, it made the most sense to have the open gable addressing the pool. Note the additional braces on the open gable. These were not required structurally but really gave that added design detail the homeowners were looking for.

From an aesthetic standpoint, we encased the footers of each of the columns with paver stones to create pedestals for each post. For the posts, we used Cox laminated timber columns. These wide columns allow plenty of space to thread wire through bringing electricity to the structure for lighting, ceiling fans, and to create electrical outlets as desired.

This Macon family couldn’t be happier with their new pavilion. It took a few years to be ready to build but it was well worth it.

If you have a great new outdoor space in mind, give us a call. We’re glad to provide a free consultation to determine the best structures and design to meet your outdoor living needs and desires. Call us at (478) 745 – 2000, email us at centralgeorgia@archadeck.net or visit our website at central-georgia.archadeck.com.

Eze-Breeze Windows, Porch builder/contractor, Porches, Screened porches

Can you turn your deck into a porch? Can you turn your screened porch into a 3-season room? Archadeck of Central GA explains how.

August 31, 2015 admin

One common question we receive is about converting an existing space to a better space. Let’s say you have a deck that’s not too old and is in great shape but you want to get more use out of the space. Do you have to scrap a perfectly good deck to convert it to a porch? You shouldn’t have to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

If you have a deck that’s in good condition, you should not need to scrap it to convert it into either an open porch or a screened porch. The caveat here is the interpretation of “good condition”. How is the substructure. How sound is it? Most often we will find deck substructures that are well built and, even when aged, are still capable of supporting growth (with some assistance). Here’s what we mean. A roof is tremendously heavy. Deck substructures are not built to accommodate the addition of a roof unless you had the substructure built to support a future roof addition. But, we can most often design and implement support enhancements which then allow the addition of a roof to your deck.

Can you turn a porch into a room?

There are many variations of outdoor rooms ranging anywhere from an open porch to a screened porch to a porch with 3-season windows to a fully insulated room with heating and cooling. Here in Central GA, the addition of a vinyl window system such as Eze-Breeze will help you turn your screened porch into a 3-season room making the room usable for most of the year. Today’s vinyl windows are nothing like they used to be. The vinyl is super clear, very strong, and integrated into a track window system making it a permanent addition to your room. Eze-Breeze windows are built to suit your existing or new room. Their track system allows you to expose from 25% up to 75% of the window area. Better yet, you can open the windows from the top or bottom. Depending on the weather conditions, this flexibility is a great plus.

If you have a great outdoor space and want to add some sun protection, rain protection, or weather protection, give us a call. We’re glad to provide a free consultation to determine if your space can be converted or upgraded. Call us at (478) 745 – 2000, email us at centralgeorgia@archadeck.net or visit our website at http://central-georgia.archadeck.com.

Porch builder/contractor, Porches

A porch for all seasons for your Macon Warner Robins area home

August 18, 2015 admin

Close your eyes. Conjure up a mental image of your porch. Open your eyes. What season is it? Likely your mental image was of a porch in the warmer months be it late spring or summer. The porch is a great getaway from the heat during that time of year. But, our long time customers tell us they use their porch literally year round. Not only is it their favorite room in the house during the hot weather months, but through different seasons used in different ways.

Fall

Let’s face it. Fall is a wonderful season. We are able to enjoy watching leaves turn colors and fall. We begin to get some relief from our hot Georgia summers. But the last thing we want to do is move inside. We will go kicking and screaming if we have to take it all indoors during the fall.

Your porch is the perfect place. Whether it’s those hot days that are holding on or those surprisingly cool fall days, your porch is the perfect day to enjoy those days. Keep one or two of your favorite throws out on the porch or bring a warm cup of hot cocoa out. Your screened porch will still be your bridge between creature comforts and outdoor living throughout the season.

Winter

One of the porch amenities that continues to rise in popularity is a fireplace built into your screened porch. You’ve certainly heard about the popular trend toward outdoor fireplaces. While you certainly can have a stand alone outdoor fireplace, your porch is the best place for your outdoor fireplace. There’s nothing like the mixing of scents of fall breeze and fireplace logs. And there’s nothing like a great big breath of fresh air regardless of the time of year. We may have a difficult time convincing you that you can use your porch throughout the winter with a porch fireplace. And, there will be some periods of true winter weather that will keep you indoors. But, with the addition of Eze-Breeze windows, one or two ceiling fans, and a throw, you should be able to enjoy your porch throughout the winter. Why go through all this trouble to spend winter leisure time in your porch when you could spend your time inside? Often your porch is the brightest and sunniest room in the house. That natural sun is a pick me up on any day of the year.

Spring

Pollen! Need we say more? That yellow film that covers literally everything during pollen season is torturous for many of us. Even if you’re not allergic to pollen, how many of us can escape without sneezing and coughing while wiping the pollen off our cars or or outdoor tables? With a screened porch, your screen will not keep all the pollen out, but it will certainly keep a good amount of it out. In addition, if you have Eze-Breeze vinyl windows on your Macon Warner Robins area porch, you can keep the vinyl windows closed during pollen season to make your outdoor room more pollen proof.

Let’s think of the positive aspect of spring – spending more time outside. After spending the winter indoors, we all anxiously await the rising temperatures that Spring. Here in Central GA, while much of the summer may be considered too hot, Spring is the time to enjoy milder temperatures, some spring breeze and some spring rain. Your back porch is the best place to enjoy spring rain.

Summer

Georgia is the deep south. Our temperatures soar in the summer forcing many of us to take it indoors. Air conditioning serves a very functional purpose of making spending time in the soaring temperatures an “option”. But, with air conditioning, you can’t smell the rain, feel the breeze and enjoy the other benefits of living outdoors.

Regardless of what time of year you’re reading this blog, it’s time to give us a call for a free consultation on adding a new screened room to your Central GA area home.

Deck builder, Decks

Take a look at our finished ipe and garapa deck in Forsyth GA

August 17, 2015 admin

A while back, we featured an ipe and garapa project we were building in Forsyth. It has been in place for three seasons now and it’s just as stunning and compelling as it was the day we finished installation.

Ipe is also known as Brazilian Walnut and is the darker of these two premium woods. Garapa is more tawny in color and is sometimes called Brazilian Ash. Both are incredibly dense woods with tight grain patterns. Both offer a natural combination of beauty and durability that is unsurpassed elsewhere in genuine decking material. Ipe was even used for the Coney Island boardwalk for more than 25 years of high traffic before it needed replacement. As a testament to Ipe’s strengh and ability to take a licking and keep on ticking, the boardwalk ipe was cleaned, restored, and re-used in everything from a museum entrance to a historical table.

All natural wood will gray out if not treated. In fact, this trademark gray has become the appeal of genuine wood. With the rich colors of ipe, the color is almost too beautiful to let it gray out. Maintaining your ipe deck doesn’t need to be done by a professional outsourced company. This client chose to handle the routine maintenance of his picture-framed open porch himself. During the first year, it is recommended that the ipe and garapa be treated at the time of construction and then again at 6 months and a year to maintain their luster and value.

One great product for treating exotic hardwoods like ipe, garapa, massaranduba, and mahogany is Australian Timber Oil by Cabot. It is available as an oil-based or water-based product. We recommend the oil-based. You can also use products from Messmer’s.

While you can see a difference between the decking at the porch’s original unveiling and today, I think most people would prefer the slightly deeper, richer color that the space has after a year in place. We think you will agree that the additional effort to do or contract for this upkeep is well worth it. You would be hard-pressed to find more attractive outdoor living flooring. In return for this TLC, these South American hardwoods will far outlive their North American pressure-treated cousins and will always be a source of homeowner pride.

If you are considering creating a great new outdoor living space for your Macon/Warner Robins area back yard, or if you want to give a fresh new look to your existing backyard space, give us a call for a free consultation. We are the composite deck builder which will identify the best structures and materials to create the perfect outdoor living space just for you. Call: (478) 745 – 2000. Email: centralgeorgia@archadeck.net.

Decks

Distinctly southern quality and style for your Macon or Warner Robins area home

August 3, 2015 admin

In Macon we respect and honor tradition. We love enjoying a tall glass of sweet tea after a long day’s work. We are happy to open a door for a lady. We enjoy making a special covered dish and sharing it with a new neighborhood, on any old Sunday, or with a sick friend. We love the slower pace and gentle elegance that characterizes the South.

When it comes to outdoor living spaces and additions, our southern way of life also translates into some distinctly southern building styles. When you watch a movie like Steel Magnolias or Forrest Gump, there is always a gracious porch wrapped around the exterior of the fine old home. We closely identify with the quintessential white picket or the stately beauty of Chippendale railings.

What is the best material for your Macon porch or deck? Unpainted pressure treated wood is always a good option, but in this case, a newer material might be a better option.

Pressure-treated pine will demand regular, time-consuming painting and maintenance. Although relatively newer, If you install PVC or white vinyl railing, you will save yourself hassle and expense over the long run. Pressure treated pine will demand cleaning and painting up and down and all around each picket every few years. That’s either a huge, annoying project for you or a very expensive project for a professional painter. By the second or third time you’ve had to tackle that chore, you may likely have exceeded the expense of choosing composite or vinyl in the first place.

Another classic picket option that you’ll often see in the south is the black metal picket that mimics the look of wrought iron. These days true wrought iron is prohibitively expensive for most homeowners and has a tendency to rust and stain the floor. A wonderful substitute for this product is the black powder coated metal pickets, like the pickets available from our partner Fortress Iron.

Pergola builder/contractor

Screen offers a fabulous alternative to shade

August 3, 2015 admin

When it comes to summertime in the south, we make so many of our decisions based on the sun. It’s a powerful force in our lives. One of our customers had a large Macon pressure treated pine deck on the back of their home in an established subdivision. The underlying structure was sound and well built, but the sun ruthlessly beats down on it because it faces due south. The summer sun made the deck nearly unusable– both because it was so hot during the day and because it had dried, splintered, and cracked the boards and rails over the years.

We were thrilled to be able to design a project that enabled this customer to keep the existing structure of the 30’x10’ deck, saving a substantial amount of money. We laid new Fiberon PVC deck boards to better stand up to the sun’s punishing rays and allow the owners to avoid having to do regular staining and maintenance. They chose to use Sandstone, a nice, neutral color that will hide dirt and look good with any furniture they purchase in the future.

After we dealt with protecting the deck from the sun, it was on to helping out the people who wanted to enjoy sitting on the deck. The customers liked the idea of having a pergola, but a standard Macon pergola would not offer enough shade for a full southern exposure. We asked if they had considered putting a sunscreen on top of the pergola. The screen, a product produced by Phifer, offers protection from over 80% of UV light. This makes the entire porch considerably cooler and decreases the need for skin protection like hats or sunscreen.

You can see from the photos the fabulous results. The screen is dark, but you can see through it. It provides shade, but still allows for some sunlight and plenty of airflow. We also mounted two ceiling fans under the pergola to get the air really moving when Mother Nature gives us an oppressively hot and muggy day. The addition of this pergola has been a life-changer for our customers. It didn’t just take something old and make it new; it took a largely useless space and made it a vibrant part of their daily lives.

For the finishing touches, we added black Fortress Iron pickets to better allow them to see the yard and give them another low maintenance element. We put a gate on each end to keep the dogs in their place. And, before we decked it, we put a new edge band around the outside to make everything look clean and fresh.

If you are considering creating a great new outdoor living space for your Macon/Warner Robins area back yard, or if you want to give a fresh new look to your existing pool area, give us a call for a free consultation. We will work to identify the best structures and materials to create the perfect outdoor living space just for you. Call: (478) 745 – 2000. Email: centralgeorgia@archadeck.net.

Deck builder

Should you put a patio or deck on your Warner Robins home? We can help you make the best decision.

July 16, 2015 admin

When we first spoke with these Warner Robins GA homeowners, they knew they wanted a great new outdoor space but had a couple key questions in mind. First, they weren’t sure whether they wanted a deck or a patio. They also wanted to know if we could create a design that would incorporate a future hot tub addition to their outdoor living space. As you can see in the picture, their yard gently slopes down. In order to add a patio, quite a bit of excavating would need to be done. With a deck, we could build the space to work with the grade of their yard without having to excavate.

The next question they had was whether their design could incorporate the addition of a future hot tub. They suspected the hot tub addition might be 2 years into the future so the deck had to work great on its own and not look like anything was missing. That was no problem. As you’ll see in the design drawing, the multi-level deck works great as a stand-alone space and will also accommodate the hot tub addition they will make in the future. At Archadeck of Central GA, accommodating future growth is important. We realize that for a number or reasons, your new project isn’t ready to happen all at once. There are often important design considerations we can make to accommodate your future growth. Sometimes there are even logistical efforts that can be made during the initial project such as running a gas line or water line at the time we are running these on the original project.

Another thing the family was looking for was a low-maintenance space. With this deck we used Fiberon composite wood for the decking and pressure-treated wood for the framing. On the vertical surfaces such as on the flower boxes and built-in bench, we used pressure-treated pine capping the elements with the same Fiberon composite decking to pull those elements in with the decking. This is a great technique which provides the cost effectiveness of building with pressure-treated wood but the design appeal created when capping the wood with the composite decking.

The decking they selected is Fiberon Pro-Tect in Gray Birch. These synthetic boards are called cap stock. The boards are composite at the core and utilize a strong capped “wrap” on 3 sides for the ultimate low maintenance performance. The Gray Birch cover is a lovely hue that will work beautifully with the color of the pressure-treated wood as it grays out.

As we noted above, our deck design works with the grade of the land using the slope to make an attractive space with a tremendous amount of visual interest. The deck is low-to-grade which meant we we were not required to add a railing. Not only can family members and guests move easily to the various deck levels but they can also spill over into the yard when they have larger gatherings.

We want to point out an additional design detail that you may not have noticed. The deck design incorporates 3 levels as you see above. Note that in each of the decking levels, the Fiberon synthetic decking is installed in a different direction. This attention to detail and these standards are unexpected features you get when working with an established company. While also providing a great look, running the decking in different directions on each level acts as a visual queue that there is a step.

If you are considering creating a great new outdoor living space for your Macon/Warner Robins area back yard, or if you want to give a fresh new look to your existing area, give us a call for a free consultation. We strive to create the perfect outdoor living space just for you. Call: (478) 745 – 2000. Email: centralgeorgia@archadeck.net.

Archadeck of Central GA