Deck Specialists

For over 30 years we have been designing & building quality custom decks. Centrally located in Connecticut CT, Deck Specialists Inc. is locally owned and operated. We are your local CT professional custom deck builders. We design & build your exciting new deck utilizing our innovative building techniques & complete woodshop. We work with you to design your deck with as many high end features & materials as possible within your budget. We specialize in Ipe (ironwood), & Azek PVC composite decking.

We design and build approximately 40 custom and high end deck projects per year in the greater Hartford area. We are committed to building the finest deck with the best possible materials, and still in your budget. Although, we do still build a fair share of pressure treated custom and replacement decks most of our custom decks are composite decks (azek pvc) or Ipe (ironwood) or tigerwood with our white solid vinyl rail system (the best in the industry). We call ourselves a custom deck company and pride ourselves on our ability to offer many "custom" features at standard pricing levels.

Composite decking materails are now the new standard for backyard deck projects. With a wealth of colors and unmatched durability and beauty, today's composites far outshine regular pressure treated wood, and the early composite products. Deck Specialists Inc will primarily be using Azek pvc composite decking for our high end custom pro built decking projects, Azek is industry leader and proven product, offering many colors and wood tones. Azek capped polymer resists fading and staining, mold, mildew, and scratches, excellent durability and very good home investment.

We hand dig all your footings to a 42" depth and install 10" building tubes. Many companies try to speed up this process by bringing in big equipment for the digging, often this results in major damage to your yard. Once the concrete is poured and has time to cure, the actual construction begins. The average time to completion at this point is inside of a week (weather permitting of course). We start by framing the deck and this goes rather quickly. Most important is where the deck is attached to the house (the ledger board).

There is no such thing as a maintenance free deck. Every deck surface, whether Ipe, treated wood or tim composites will feel the effects of the outdoors. Mold and mildew, dirt, grease, tree droppings, leaves, sun and rain are all tough on your deck. When it comes to deck maintenance, every case is different. Crucial factors include traffic, pets, insects, tree coverage, sun exposure, and believe it or not, the amount of glass on the rear of your house. Extreme exposure bakes the wood, drying and splitting it prematurely.

Many outdoor woods are available for the construction of decks. Some common species used for decks in our area are Cedar (western red),R edwood, Cypress, Purple Heart, Ipe or Pau Lope (called Ironwood), Mahogany (Red Merenti, Cambara, Honduran & Santos),T igerwood, Jatoba, Jarrah, Cumaro, Teak, and of course Southern Yellow Pine (pressure treated). Janka hardness is a test measuring density of wood, the standard is done perpendicular to the grain and typically at 12% moisture content. So what wood is right for me?

Keeping Your deck clean and very important in reducing other problems like mold and mildew. Simply blowing off the deck or sweeping it once in a while will greatly reduce dirt and grime on your deck and also help to keep the decking gaps open for drainage. Really dirty decks can be cleaned as you would a car, a good bucket with soapy water (detergent) and a brush and a hose will do wonders on any kind of deck be it Treated wood, Ipe, composite or cellular PVC. Clean decks drain better, are less likely to promote mold growth, and less likely damaged from scratching.

Pictured to the left are our colonial solid vinyl deck rail with Ipe caprail (top), our white solid vinyl rail system is manufactured by us from white solid hdpe plastic lumber and the most versatile in the industry. Below we have PT or pressure treated rails. To the left is again our colonial style, while on the right although very similar is a traditional rail. Many of our deck photos feature the boxed King post system, This is an optional rail system and can add a dramatic touch to some projects.

Stairs are probably one of the most important elements of a great deck! The type of stairs, the position of the stairs, the amount of traffic flow, the number of stairs, where the stairs bring you, also whether or not to add a stair landing and if so which type. All these factors and more should be addressed. Shown here is a standard Deck Specialists, Inc. Ironwood routed stair set with risers installed, also note the separate graspable handrail. The solid vinyl rails are carried into the stair rails as well and the ironwood caprail gives both strength and beauty to the rails.

Deck designs: Good planning is the beginning of every job. A project will only be as good as the plan or design. Drawing and sketches are the real foundation of the deck. Years ago, and unfortunately on occasion still, a carpenter would get a basic idea of what he wanted to build, get plenty of lumber, and start changing the plan to overcome any oversights, or complexities. Well times have changed. With the rise of the cost of building materials, good planning is now more important than ever. There won't be any guesswork; all of the adjustments have been made on the computer screen, not on your deck!

What size decks are consistent with my neighborhood? You don't necessarily have to have the biggest deck on the block, but you most likely do not want to have the smallest. Most homes in our part of the country are expected to have a deck, and property values can be affected by the size and quality of your deck, When planning your deck Obviously a large house can house a large deck and the proportions will look correct, whereas a monster deck on a small house may seem overpowering. It's probably best to build large enough for all you needs but not to go overboard, however, There is not set size a deck should be, in regards to the size of your house.