Out of all the questions homeowners ask us in regards to planning and building an anticipated outdoor living space addition, the most frequently asked is “WHEN is the best time to build?” Many factors can fall into play when answering this question, but in essence, if you are ready to pursue your addition then there is no time like the present to get the ball rolling!

With a New Year in full swing — there is no time like the present!
While there is never really a wrong time to begin your outdoor living space project since we build structures year-round, there are advantages to beginning your process early in the year, and while cooler weather is in the air!

Advantage — A good reason to begin your outdoor structure in the late fall and winter months is there may be less wait time to begin construction. Gaining approval through HOA’s and permitting will take less time because there is less backlog early in the season and this can often make the wait-time minimal in most cases. Making the decision to build now will ensure being able to enjoy the benefits of your new structure sooner and in plenty of time for the arrival of the outdoor living season in the months ahead. Keep in mind, when dealing with a quality builder wait times can be longer, especially during the warmer months. Moving ahead early in the year on your project can greatly reduce those wait times.

Advantage — If you are considering a structure built from wood, a cooler month project timeline will provide many benefits. Wood requires a time period of acclimation and curing. The laws of expansion and contraction always apply when it comes to working with wood. All wood is hygroscopic, meaning that when exposed to air, it will release or pick up moisture until it is level with the humidity and temperature of the air. Humid conditions, such as those in our humid Georgia summers, will cause more rapid expansion and contraction of wood that is not yet sealed for protection against the elements.

A structure built from wood needs to cure for a period of time before the sealer will properly adhere to the wood and promote beneficial protection qualities. By choosing to build during the least humid times of the year, your new wooden deck, porch or other outdoor structure will have ample time to cure in order to properly accept the sealer you choose.

Advantage — Your lawn and landscape will incur less stress by choosing to build during the cooler months of the year — this is because most turf grasses, trees and shrubs are in their dormant period during the winter. During dormancy, these plantings are less likely to experience permanent damage from having to be trimmed or pruned to accommodate the addition of a backyard space. Aside from the landscape, construction during the winter will cause less of an interruption to your family’s day-to-day activities and lifestyle as the kids are in school and most people use their yards less during these months. This means the noises and materials will be less of an annoyance than they would be when you are using the yard a lot during the warmer months.

Advantage — Last but not least, planning a new outdoor living space is a great way to curb the post-holiday blues. With a New Year underway, one way to curb the post-holiday blues is to look beyond the winter doldrums to warmer months ahead. With this in mind, many Central Georgia homeowners may begin planning for the outdoor living season. These plans may involve a new addition to your landscape or outdoor living space. Whether your aspirations include adding a new outdoor structure, or improving or adding to an existing structure, winter is a good time to get the ball rolling before spring arrives.

If you are on the fence about moving forward with a new or improved outdoor living space, now is the perfect time to get your project planned and on the schedule! Contact Archadeck of Central GA today at (478) 745-2000 or via email at centralgeorgia@archadeck.net.




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Parting boards
Metal pickets on railings
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Are you enticed by end-of-summer sale prices for above ground pools? Before you dive into purchasing an above ground pool for your family, Archadeck of Central Georgia recommends you consider all of the potential expense, beyond the cost of the pool itself, before making a purchasing decision. This includes the cost of adding an above ground pool deck.
Keep in mind that you will need to purchase more than just the pool. The cost of installation is usually not included, and that can run as high as $3,000 according to some sources. While filters, ladders and pumps may come with the pool, you will need to purchase cleaning tools, a pool cover, chemicals and maybe even a pool vacuum.















Sometimes we look at particular architectural features of a space and wonder just what the designer/architect/builder was thinking. If you’ve ever had a great space with a structural beam stuck right smack dab in the middle of it, you know what we’re talking about. When these Fort Valley GA homeowners originally called us, they had an existing elevated second-story deck. The space under a deck over 8 feet off the ground can potentially become a covered patio. But in their case, their existing structure had a large column standing in the middle of the space. In addition, their deck which was made of pressure-treated wood was in really bad shape.
We were able to come up with a design plan that utilized the existing structure and accomplished all of their goals. The existing deck was 24′ wide which is why it needed more structural support than standard corner posts could provide. This can be accomplished in one of two ways. The first option is a center support column. This was the direction their builder originally took causing there to be an eyesore in the middle of their patio below. But, the innovative engineering option that Archadeck of Central GA designed had a long steel beam under the deck portion. Archadeck is part of a national franchise organization and employs an engineering/design team that is second to none. Our engineers created a solution utilizing a steel beam to support the wide deck.
The next challenge was aesthetics. The deck resurfacing with AZEK was stunning. But, from below, we didn’t want the steel support beam to be an eyesore. To accomplish this, we wrapped all the beams in low maintenance PVC. This included white PVC on the posts/columns and the trim board. The white color created a beautiful contrast to the dark decking material and dark colored railing spindles. The homeowners had done their research and knew that they wanted a lighting package that would encompass lights both on the posts and integrated into the rail caps. The picture to the right shows the Fiberon lighting package and railing we used on this Fort Valley deck.


