It’s cold out now, time to plan for Spring! It’s never too early.

 

Spring is coming!!! With it’s beautiful days and cool nights.  Make sure you are prepared, now is the perfect time to consider remodeling your deck, converting your deck into a  screen porch or making your screen porch or free space  a three season room.  Close the windows on the chilly nights, add a gas burning stove, and you are all set or open it all up with french doors and a lovely outdoor fire pit or fire place.

Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today.  Planning, designing, permitting and constructing a deck takes some time  and Archadeck of Westchester and Fairfield Counties can help you design and build the space you’ve been imagining.  Call today for your free consultation in regards to your outdoor living space.  Archadeck has been in business in Southern Fairfield and Westchester Counties for over 28 years and has a lengthy list of references for you to call.  We understand the permit process here along the coast as well as inland.  With all the new storm water management requirements and green space requirements, we can help you design your projects within your towns requirements.  We went so far as to modify the town of Greenwich’s Storm Water Management Manual to accept decks, based on our specifications.  We understand Town, City, State and Federal FDA requirements and build accordingly. We specialize in design, construction and quality outdoor structures such as decks, screened porches, front porches, gazebos, trellises, patios, hardscapes, etc. 

We have an Architect for all New York projects and a specialist in Zoning Regulations, Wetland Regulations, and Building Permit Process in all localities in Westchester and Fairfield Counties.

Our objective is to listen to your objectives and design an outdoor living space that not only meets your budget, but creates the space you desire.

Building Departments, Zoning, Health, Conservation and Coastal Area Management Departments are a little less overwhelmed this time of year, which speeds up your project.

Call today for you free consultation:  203-978-9050

Snow on your Deck

Todays first snow here on the Southern Shore in Connecticut reminded me to put out my annual reminder. When shoveling snow off your wood or composite/PVC deck, always use a plastic snow shovel. No metal tip, all plastic. The metal shovels or shovels with metal grommets holding an edge stiffener can also do a number scratching the surface. So if you are one to shovel your deck, porch, front porch, stairs etc. Always use plastic shovels to avoid the scratches.

As to the need to shovel your deck in regards to the weight of snow, that is all based on how it was built and how much weight it is designed to bear. So speak to your professional.

Stay warm.

When do Decks need to be replaced?

Now that the snow is finally melting, how does your deck look?  Hopefully you didn’t shovel it with a metal tip, but if you did, it can be fixed!  Scratches that happen from metal shovel s can be sanded away.  Then the deck should be powerwashed and treated.  Provided you deck is approximately less than 15 years old, it can be restored and last you a few more years.

Yes we are in the deck building business, but we also know when a deck does not need to be replaced, as that can be a very expensive endeavor.  Many times we have been called out to replace a deck and informed the homeowner that the deck is safe, just needs some TLC.

If you are unsure as to the safety of your deck, or the restorations process that could possible bring your deck back to “life”, we recommend you research when it was built.  If you have any questions, please call us at 203-978-9050 and we will try to advise you the best course.

Deck Design, Outdoor Living Space, Pavers, Etc. Don’t Miss the Home Show

Deck Design, Outdoor Living Space, Pavers, Etc.  Don’t Miss the Home Show

 

Spring is right around the corner and now is the time to start planning for your outdoor living space addition. With that in mind, Archadeck of Southern Fairfield and Westchester Counties will be at the http://www.ctexpos.com/fairfield-county-home-outdoor-living-expo/ March 22-23, 2014 at the Stamford Plaza Hotel, 2701 Summer Street, Stamford, CT .  Those interested in attending the show can also print a free pass at  http://www.ctexpos.com/fairfield-county-home-outdoor-living-expo/  Come on out and gain inspiration for your outdoor living project, for improving your home and landscape, and especially your outdoor lifestyle.

 

We will be located in booth #136 and  members of our talented design team will be on hand to answer all your questions and help you begin living your outdoor living dreams.

Show hours are as follows:

• March 22, 2014 from 11 AM to 5 PM
• March 23, 2014 from 11 AM to 5 PM

 

Spring is right around the corner, and that means time for outdoor living!

This show brings consumers together with recognized home improvement professionals for a weekend of learning and excitement. You’ll meet and interact with local specialists who are ready to share their knowledge to help you turn your home and outdoor spaces into the ones you have always dreamed. If you’re thinking of expanding your outdoor living space, or considering an outdoor room, front porch, screen porch, sunroom addition, etc. this is the home show you can’t afford to miss. No matter what you have in mind for home improvements, you’ll find the right products and the best companies.

 

Archadeck of Southern Fairfield and Westchester Counties Rick Crossman and team will be there to help you learn what you can build, how you can build it, and explain to you all the options you have.  Don’t let this chance pass you by. We look forward to meeting you this weekend! You can also contact Archadeck of Southern Fairfield and Westchester Counties for more details about our fabulous outdoor living space designs anytime at (203)978-9050 or visit our website at CTDeck.com.  Can’t wait to meet with you!!!

Best Decks in Westchester, New York and Fairfiled Connecticut

Best Decks in Westchester and Fairfield County

Permits slow the start, get someone who knows what they are doing!

All over the country regulations are getting stricter and stricter.  Who knew you needed a permit for a deck, much less a deck you are replacing exactly as is!  Well you do, and regardless of what you have, that may not be allowed anymore.

To begin with, it may not have had a permit to start, so right there you are stopped dead in the water.

Secondly, new regulations, such as FEMA, Stormwater management, Greenspace, Lot coverage, Wetlands, etc. makes it semi-impossible to figure out what one can do.  We here at Archadeck of Southern Fairfield and Westchester Counties pride ourselves on our indepth knowledge of town requirements.  We are constantly reading the new regulations for every town. 

 When we design your deck, if we are unaware of your Towns requirements, we contact the town to determine what your setbacks are, and what is needed to aquare a permit..  But we never let them know your address…..just the area.

We have always been very aware of the individual locales requirements.  Several years ago the Town of Greenwich, CT instituted a “Storm water Management” manual.  This manual stated that any increase in lot coverage required an Engineer to be involved.  This mandate requirement reflected an additional $2,000.00 – $4,000.00 cost on top of the cost of the deck.

Archadeck of Southern Fairfield and Westchester Counties worked hard, researched, and submitted a request to amend this aspect of the manual to not include decks.  It was our determination that decks are pervious, not impervious, and therefore should not count.

The Town of Greenwich accepted our modification  and amended the manual, provided decks will be built to certain specifications, ie decking boards be space 3/16”, which of course, is what we do.  They also require gravel under the deck for drainage.  This is helpful to you the homeowner also, as it keeps the water away from the foundation.

 Service is our number one goal.  Companies that do not recognize service do not stay in business for over 25 years, as we have.  We do what it takes to keep you the homeowner, informed and aware of what you can build, how it can be built, and what it will cost.  Our number one objective is to meet your objectives, needs, and make sure you have “no buyers remorse”.  This is why over 50% of our business comes from homeowner referrals.

Maintain your Decks: Dogs “Peeing” on decks because of Snow!

Too Much Snow?

 Maintain your Deck and avoid problems of having your pets “pee” on them!  The old adage “Don’t eat yellow snow” should be don’t leave yellow snow on your deck!

The snow keeps falling, your deck and outdoor living space keeps piling up high with snow.  No where for your pets to go. What to do?  Shovel it!  Take the snow off your patio to prevent uplift of the stones.  If they were not installed properly, the freezing of the ground will cause an uplift of the stones.

When this happens, and you shovel it, the shovel will get bent due to the upheaval of the flagstone.  If you have a metal tip/lip to your shovel, it will get bent and scratch the next surface it hits…..which will probably be your deck!  Do not use that shovel on your deck, furniture, car, etc. it will cause scratches that cannot be repaired entirely.  If your deck is wood, they can be sanded, but if your deck is vinyl or composite the only way to repair those scratches is to replace the board.

The best solution, do not use metal on your deck.

We live in the Northeast too.  We’ve removed all the snow from our rails, tables, chairs, decks and barbeque.  This helps all of these items prepare for the next snow.

It also helps our dogs understand that it is still a deck, patio, and furniture.  Dog “pee” in snow doesn’t seem that bad.  It was always a joke as a kid, “Don’t eat yellow snow”, but when the snow melts, it all soaks into the deck or patio, leaving an odor that animals can detect.  All of a sudden, in the middle of summer you see your fine, loved pet, sniffing and using that same area as a “spot” to relieve themselves.

Avoid this anguish by shoveling your deck clean of snow so those “little ones” understand the path to their destination.

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Sorry to be so blunt, but it’s a fact of pets!  Take care of your deck like you would your wood floors in your house.  You would never throw dirt all over you living room floor,  don’t leave snow on your deck….same ending

The Best Shovel for your Deck

The Best Shovel for your Deck

Do you ever notice scratches on your deck in the spring? The most common cause is the use of metal shovels, or plastic shovels with a metal strip/trip to remove snow.  I apologize if I sound repetitive, as I have posted this before, but DO NOT USE METAL on your decks!!!

The best shovel is a plastic shovel with no metal on it.

Is your deck made of  composite/vinyl decking, like Fiberon, TimberTech, Azek, Gossin, or one of the many other composite/vinyl products on the market?  Or perhaps red cedar, pressure treated, Garapa, or Ipe?  They will all scratch when scraped with metal.

Your local hardware store, Home Depot, or where ever you purchase your snow shovels, sells all plastic shovels and they are usually less expensive then their metal counterparts.  Specifically look at the section that touches the deck.  Many plastic shovels will have a metal strip/tip on the bottom (the part of the shovel that touches the deck) for breaking ice.  These shovels are not acceptable.  Buy the shovel without the strip.

Many of you may say, “Why would I shovel my deck?”  Although I cannot comment on decks built by other companies, I can comment on decks built by Archadeck of Southern Fairfield and Westchester Counties. www.ctdeck.com, and this is what we believe.

Archadeck of Southern Fairfield and Westchester Counties builds all their decks to a design load of 60 pounds per square foot. The design load is for “live load” which includes people, furniture, barbeques, heaters, and yes, snow. A 10 x 10 area, evenly loaded, should hold approx. 6,000 pounds. That’s a lot of friends, furniture, and/or a lot of snow.  If we have built an outdoor kitchen, fire place or spa,  your deck is engineered for those items in addition to people, furniture and snow.

 

The weight of snow is not exact, as all snow is different.  But in general terms a cubic foot of water weighs 62.4 pounds. Light fluffy snow has less water than wet heavy snow and Ice is almost 100% water with air. Light, fluffy snow weighs approximately 12 pounds per cubic foot, where wet heavy snow is closer to 21 pounds per cubic foot.  Ice is the heaviest and is assumed to weigh approximately 62.5 pounds per cubic foot.

 

A deck built by Archadeck of Southern Fairfield and Westchester Counties should accommodate 5′ of light fluffy snow, 3′ of wetter heavy snow or 1′ of ice.

 

So what do all these numbers mean?  They are approximates and should not be challenged.  Snow can act as an insulator and may seem fluffy on top, but ice or wet, heavy snow could lie underneath.  Shoveling your deck helps avoid pushing limits or challenging any of these approximate numbers. Furniture and barbeques have weight of their own, additional weight is added when snow piles up.  It’s best to clean the snow off these items too, both for their preservation in addition to the extra weight the snow is creating.  Removing snow also keeps snow away from your doorways and sidewalls of the house where damage could occur with melting, freezing and new snowfall.

 

Lastly, for all you pet owners, shoveling snow can prevent your animals (especially those little ones) from believing your deck is now the ground….need I say more.

 

For those of you who do not yet have a deck, or, would like to replace one, it is never too early to start planning for Spring.

 

Permits for your Outdoor Living Space

February 1, 2014….Seems a little early to start thinking about Spring planning, right?  Wrong!  Now is the best time to start planning.  Permitting in Southern Fairfield, CT and Westchester County, NY can be a time consuming process.  In order to have your outdoor living space built to enjoy this spring, now is the time to start.

Archadeck will sit down with you and discuss your objectives and work with you to find a solution to your dream yard.  Surveys are a necessity in this day.  In order to design an outdoorliving space you desire and one that can be built, we must first look at your survey to determine what you locale will allow.

Setbacks, wetlands and septic systems all play a role in what and where you can build.  Town requirements are constantly changing.  Design your outdoor living space to conform to your town requirements.  There is nothing worse than falling in love with a design and then finding out the town will not allow it to be built.
Surveying companies get very busy in the spring.  If you wait too long, you may not even be able to get a survey for a month or two.  Towns like Greenwich, Stamford, Fairfield and Norwalk have a fairly quick permit turn around time provided the appropriate paper work is in place (updated survey, green space coverage, storm water management information, etc.)  Other towns like Darien, White Plains, Mamaroneck and Westport typically take at least two to three weeks if not longer after the initial paperwork is filed.

Now is the time to start planning.

Decks and the Recession

Many believe that the hard economic times of the last four +/- years are starting to turn. Construction activity in many areas is increasing and many are now making plans for a construction project on their home. 

If you are one who has the itch for home improvement, but are not yet ready for the major large edition, outdoors is a great place to look. A new deck or patio by Archadeck will add so much living space and enjoyment to one’s home in the warmer months.  Typically, these additions are less expensive than the full blown projects requiring heat and plumbing. A deck or patio project ranges from small to large, and fresh air, is still available at no additional cost.

How much Does a Building Permit Cost? Revisited

On May 7, 2010 i posted a blog entitled “How Much Does a Building Permit Cost?” in this blog I discussed costs, other than, the direct application cost to a Building Department. These costs include possible costs to Inland-Wetlands, Conservation, Health Departments, Planning and Zoning and Coastal Area Management which are all Departments managing construction impact for the Towns and Cities. There is also the additional administration of Design, Construction Drawings,  Engineering, and the time to apply for the permit. Also mentioned was the necessary and very important “construction fall out” of obtaining a permit that now requires a builder to follow construction codes and State and City Ordinances, all of which bring costs, simply, to do it “right”. After writing the 5/7/2010 blog I was hoping I had covered necessary information that would stand for a long period of time. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

In the Northeastern part of our Country where our Archadeck office provides Outdoor Living spaces, things have changed again. After a number of events ands perhaps culminating with Super Storm Sandy, the effects of munisciple construction management and some “over building” of 1995-2005, we have learned that more may need to be done to protect our environment and our neighbors. One new effort is called “Storm Water Management” and simply put, manages what to do with the water now that Green Space has diminished as a result of construction. This post is not the medium nor am I the scientist to explain the multiple impacts of rain and flood waters but I can say, IT COSTS MORE!

When one encounters requirements for Storm Water, an engineer may need to be hired to determine exactly what to do with the water. This engineer is not the same as the structural engineer, He/She is an Aquatic and Environmental specialist. Perhaps installation of retention systems is required or something as simple as a “Bog” or Rain garden. Your costs will be directly tied to the task required in order to obtain your Building Permit.

As the additional costs for Construction Permits all spin out, one will find that a Construction project, from conception to completion, takes far longer and costs much more  than one originally thought Labor and Materials might be. These added costs could move some homeowners out of the potential construction market, new restriction will move some homes out of the potential addition and improvement market, and will remove some builders out of the “do it by the book” service they were once in. Be careful, find someone familiar in this new world of building.