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.

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.

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.

Porch builder/contractor, Porches, Screened porches

With teenagers, making family dinner meaningful might seem impossible. These Macon homeowners found a way.

July 9, 2015 admin

As parents of 3, my wife and I know all too well the challenges of making the family dinner what it is supposed to be or what it ought to be. We can make the quintessential family dinner, remove all the daily troubles from our mind and sit down to provide a platform to hear our children talk. All too often, that meaningful conversation just doesn’t happen. How did our parents do it? How did they really get us talking about local events and homework and having healthy conversations about meaningful topics?

Based on a story that a recent client told me, perhaps getting slightly out of the house for family dinners might be the perfect recipe. When I talk to clients after completing their project, they always tell me that their porch is their favorite room in the house.

This Macon homeowner raved about the fact that it has strengthened their relationship with their teenagers. They have their family dinners out on the porch. She said their daughters linger longer, talk more, and are more a part of the family experience than when inside.

Maybe it’s the fresh air. Maybe it’s the feeling of being out of the house or away from the gadgets sitting inside the house. Maybe it’s the feeling that Mom and Dad are less frazzled because of the calming nature of the porch. But I’m glad to hear that their porch is making a difference in their lives.

In addition this story, there are some fun ones I hear quite a bit. Outside of the classic screened porch experience of enjoying morning coffee on the porch or sneaking away to enjoy a favorite book, here are just a couple other favorite screened porch uses my clients tell me about.

Sleeping outside
Watching TV outside
Working outside

Sleeping on the porch

While you may think the only person sleeping on the porch is the person in your house that has been kicked to the dog house, that is the farthest thing from the truth. My clients tell me they love sleeping outside. Some bring their sleeping bags along with their favorite movie and popcorn to spend the rest of the evening enjoying the breeze and fresh air. Many keep a throw blanket on their porch to grab a cat nap at different times of the day.

Watching TV outside

Would we ever have imagined we would be watching TV and sitting on nice furniture on our screened porch? Gone are the days of portable patio furniture and lack of entertainment. Many clients request that a TV be built into their screened porch design. Whether you enjoy a little ambient noise, enjoy catching just the important parts of the news, or enjoy catching up on your favorite series, you can now do it in comfort from your porch.

Working outside

Laptop computers are great. We can take them to the office and to the kitchen table. We can also take them to another desk in the house or the sofa table. Now you can take your laptop outside to work – outside on your screened porch. All of our porches include electricity so you can plug in when you need to or turn on a lamp when the sun is going down. Merging the relaxing feeling that a screened porch brings with your necessary take home work makes it just a little more enjoyable.

Deck builder

Deck maintenance is a little like flossing

July 3, 2015 admin

: Pressure-treated wood deck in Macon GA

Everyone knows that to keep your teeth looking good that you need to floss regularly. Maintenance of a pressure treated pine deck is a similar proposition. You know you should be doing it, you have a pretty good idea about how it should be done even though you may be a little vague on some of the details, and you may occasionally fall a little short and need to do a little extra work to get back on track. The good news? It’s never too late to start. Here are some deck maintenance tips for all stages of a Macon deck lifespan.

More than half the decks in this area have flooring made of pressure treated pine lumber. Almost all of them have their framing done with those boards as well. Pine is an economical and renewable resource. When it gets wet, it swells and when it dries or sits in the sun, it shrinks. This movement, swelling and shrinking, causes the wood fibers to tear themselves apart causing splintering, splitting, warping and cupping. It’s that natural cycle you are trying to interrupt.

: TimberTech Synthetic deck Juliet GA

The first step is to pressure wash the deck, giving the most attention to the horizontal surfaces. First, they are the most visible. Second, those are the areas where water and dirt are most likely to sit and soak in, so they need the most attention. After the deck dries from its cleaning, wait until early evening and then apply a high quality sealant like Cabot. Do not apply under the summer sun. The sealants will evaporate right off during the heat of the day. Wax-injected lumber may buy you 12-months or so before needing its first treatment

Ideally, pressure treated pine decks will be cleansed and sealed at least once a year and splinters won’t be an issue for a decade or more. If you are seeing the signs of neglect in your deck, it may not be too late. Olympic makes a product called Rescue It!™ that fills gaps and seals at the same time. It requires some extra site preparation, but can help bring a long-neglected deck back into use quickly. It’s thick and looks a little like a truck bed liner when it dries.

In many cases, the deck surface may need to be pulled up and replaced. Replacing deck boards can be costly but not as expensive as building a new deck. Don’t panic if you think your deck needs this level of attention. It may even be a good thing. Macon redecking projects are a great opportunity to replace pressure treated pine with synthetic decking and you can effectively eliminate 95% of upkeep chores if you go that route. You can even pick a new color scheme if you replace your boards with synthetic boards.

Eze-Breeze Windows, Porch builder/contractor, Porches

The 4 things you didn’t know about Eze-Breeze® vinyl windows

June 9, 2015 admin

If you aren’t already familiar with Eze-Breeze® window systems, it’s time to fix that! Eze-Breeze is a revolutionary product that transforms the traditional Macon screened porch to a 3-season room that offers all of the best features of outdoor living with none of the drawbacks.

# 1 Eze-Breeze windows look like glass, but they are not

When you see photos of a Warner Robins porch that has Eze-Breeze windows, you will likely assume that you are looking at traditional glass windows. Their crystal clear clarity is comparable to glass, but they are actually made of 10-mil vinyl glazing. You can choose your featherweight vinyl in a range of colors, depending on if you want to include some built-in shading. In addition to saving you money, this product will stretch rather than shatter when it is put under stress. Within minutes of a push or a hit to the vinyl, the product will reform to its original shape. Their 10-year warranty against most kinds of damage is the best you will find anywhere and puts traditional glass windows to shame.

#2 Eze-Breeze vinyl offers protection from all the elements: including pollen

We don’t see much snow in Georgia, but Eze-Breeze will keep the elements on the outside where they belong. Protect your furniture, rugs, sound system or anything else you like to enjoy on your porch with these amazing vertical or horizontal sliding windows. They will keep out rain, snow, wind, pollen, and mosquitoes: all of the scourges of outdoor living. When you want to welcome in a breeze, just give them a quick slide to open and you have 75% smooth airflow almost instantly.

#3 More resilient than glass

Glass has strength and heft. With those two features also comes significant expense. Eze-Breeze offers an enticing alternative. Push against one of the vinyl panes and it will snap back into shape. Price glass versus Eze-Breeze vinyl and you’ll see less of an impact on your wallet as well. You can’t buy a custom glass window system at a comparable price. You can’t repair a damaged window pane as easily.

#4 Eze-Breeze is the secret to low maintenance porch living

Eze-Breeze vinyl is easier to clean than traditional glass windows. A spray with a garden hose is usually all you need to keep your view clear and crisp. Forget about storing patio furniture for the winter. When your windows are up, the furniture is beautifully protected from rain, dirt and grime. You will still have to clean that disgusting yellow film off your car in the spring, but your porch furniture and carpet will be clean and ready for use daily when it sits behind the protective shield of Eze-Breeze custom windows and doors.

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 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 or visit our website at central-georgia.archadeck.com.

Pool decks and patios

Pavilion, pool deck, patio, pergola, or open porch for your Macon Warner Robins pool?

June 4, 2015 admin

Take a look at this paver patio we built in Warner Robins. This poolside area also includes a custom-built fire pit to match the pavers, an open porch, and a full outdoor kitchen. Sparkling blue pools offer cool relief from the sun and the perfect place to complete your daily exercise regimen. After pulling yourself up the ladder from a quick dip, do you want to head immediately back inside the house? Heck no! You want make the most of your pre- or post-swim poolside experience by lounging in an area custom-designed for how you like to enjoy your time in the yard.

There are some great options for outdoor living spaces around your pool. A Belgard paver patio is a great option to upgrade your poolside. It’s easy to choose a color palette that appeals to your eye and it can be laid out in nearly any shape you can imagine. Whether it’s curvy, angular or some combination of the two, our experienced team will professionally grade, prepare, and install the patio that fits your personality. Working around a tree or landscape feature or including a low seating wall or fire pit is a great addition to your poolside paver patio.

Perhaps your property is on a grade. Or maybe you want to have a terraced effect in your yard. You might be better off in those cases considering a pool deck. Regardless of whether you go the poolside deck or patio route, we will offer a variety of suggestions to make the transitions from home to poolside to yard harmonious and as inviting as the water itself.

Another key consideration for your backyard oasis is sun protection. Some people want more, others less, but even the most enthusiastic sun worshiper needs a little shade now an then. Consider installing a pergola. Your Warner Robins pergola can be built free-standing or connected to your home or another structure. Pergolas can make a very bold design statement for a relatively small investment.

If you are looking for something a little more substantial than a pergola, consider a porch or pavilion. Covered porches and screened porches will offer the best protection from the sun while still allowing you to enjoy the outdoors. You can enjoy a meal under a covered area whether rain or shine. Maybe even mount a TV or sound system.

The owners of larger properties sometimes find that they want to have many poolside amenities. If you want a shower, bathroom, or storage poolside, you may want to consider a pool house. A pool house can have plumbing or air conditioning and can serve a variety of different functions. Wouldn’t poolside be a terrific location for your home office? Perhaps it could be the place where you keep the video games for the teenagers. What a party that would be swimming in the pool, music from the outdoor speakers and games or movies on the flat screen just steps away.

The pool is a great first step to the amazing yard of your dreams. The next step is to call Archadeck for a free consultation to help you find the best path forward. It’s not as far away as you might think.

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 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 or visit our website: central-georgia.archadeck.com

Paver patios & hardscapes

Is a Belgard paver patio right for you? Here are some considerations.

May 16, 2015 admin

Deciding that you want a new outdoor living space in your yard is the easy part. Trying to decide exactly what structure and what it should look like can be a little more of a challenge. Is your yard is better suited to a deck or patio? Here is a quick guide. Take a look at the height differentiation from your back door to the ground. As the height differentiation increases from grade to the base of the back door, then typically a deck is cheaper to build than patio. That’s why we offer 2 different types of uncovered outdoor spaces; patios for lower grade yards and decks for yards with more grade.

For homes built at ground level, the easiest, most economical choice may be a patio. Archadeck of Central GA may be able to re-surface your existing concrete patio and turn it into a paver patio.

If you’ve decided that a patio is right for your home, you can start thinking about what amenities you want to include. Would you like to have retaining walls for your landscaping or higher seating walls? Will you include built-in lighting? How about a fireplace or fire pit? You can easily create an attached space for a hot tub. If you enjoy cooking outside, you may want to consider including an outdoor kitchen or outdoor grill area in your plans.

Archadeck of Central Georgia uses the Belgard paver line. As the premiere manufacturer of pavers in the country, Belgard offers the perfect combination of quality, beauty, selection, and value. This provides several benefits? First, a professionally installed Belgard paver patio is very low maintenance. It will probably not need to be sealed and, in the unlikely event that a ground stone is broken, each can be replaced individually. The flexible joints shift without cracking and stay looking great over the long term.

Note that it’s imperative to have a professional installation. A paver patio needs extensive site preparation: the ground must be leveled and topped with 4-6” of compacted gravel and an inch of sand for the base. It’s a lot of hot, heavy work, but it pays ample dividends in looks and longevity. If you just lay paver stones on the ground, you will be tremendously disappointed in short order. No one wants a patio that becomes a tripping hazard almost immediately.

When you start thinking about the look and feel you want for your Macon Warner Robins Belgard patio, you will want to take a look at Belgard’s Lafitt® paver. It’s the most popular paver we install here in Central GA. Customers love the sophisticated look that calls to mind sitting outside a Mediterranean villa. It’s available in six color palettes and can be laid out in a variety of patterns.

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 will identify the best structures and materials to create the perfect outdoor living space just for you. Call: (478) 745 – 2000, mail: centralgeorgia@archadeck.net or visit our website at central-georgia.archadeck.com.

Archadeck of Central GA, Outdoor kitchen

Want to make your Macon outdoor living space sizzle this season? Try adding a little green.

April 2, 2015 admin

: Take a look at the perfect Big Green Egg cooking space we built at this Macon GA home. You want your cooker to be on a secure base right at the perfect height.

Spring has sprung in the Macon and Warner Robins area and with it marks the debut of the outdoor living season. Part of what makes outdoor living so much fun is outdoor dining and food preparation. Being in the business of designing and building outdoor living spaces, we have seen our fair share of grills, smokers and other outdoor cooking implements come and go. However, in our experience, among the flurry there is one outdoor smoker that is tried and true — the Big Green Egg.

: Here’s another great way we can integrate your cooker into your Macon and Warner Robins area kitchen. With this method, you have built in counter space to put your spatula and zesty cooking sauce.

Archadeck of Central GA has had many customers design their outdoor living space, or outdoor kitchen addition, with an Egg as the center of attention. You can expand your outdoor food preparation capabilities by adding an Egg to your list of amenities. In our experience, many homeowners opt for the larger size when considering it within their outdoor addition. Since these cookers are quite heavy, a stationary location can make functionality run smoother by integrating the Egg into an outdoor counter top at grilling height. This will safeguard against tipping the Egg and it looks great when built into your outdoor living space.

The Big Green Egg is widely acclaimed as the original American-designed ceramic cooker and this modern culinary marvel stands alone as the most versatile barbecue and outdoor cooking product on the market. Eggs offer more capabilities than all other conventional cookers combined. From the perfect steak, melt-in-your-mouth ribs to appetizers, the Egg is a perfect addition to your outdoor kitchen.

Contact Archadeck of Central Georgia to learn how we can take your everyday backyard area into something beyond the usual, something extraordinary. We can take the potential your outdoor living area already has and improve upon it, or even build your dream backyard starting from scratch. Call for a free consultation: (478) 745 – 2000 or email:centralgeorgia@archadeck.net

Macon Warner Robins Decks, Patios, Porches, Pergolas, Gazebos and more