Wood and Composite (Trex®) Decks & Garden Bridges

I specialize in creating fine custom and high end wood and composite decks and garden bridges that reflect the architectural style of your home and garden. Below is more information about the type, style and pricing for the structures I design and build.

           Design Guide         Pricing Information         Related Links        Portfolio Photos

Design Guide For Wood Decks, Composite Decks & Garden Bridges

This design guide provides deck design ideas and specific information on how to achieve a specific deck style, develop a great design, and select the best location for your deck or garden bridge based on your design criteria.

Design Elements for Wood Decks & Composite Decks

The style of your deck or bridge is created with design and construction components. By changing these key design elements and details, you can create a specific style or a totally unique design:

• size of beams and railing posts
• deck board pattern
• railing size and shape
• beam ends & post caps styles
• stairs
• joinery techniques
• bridge span size and shape
• custom touches (decorative beam end cuts, wood inletting, and finials)
• wood texture and finish
• metalwork & lighting
  

Harmonizing Your Deck With Your Home & Garden

Your deck or bridge should harmonize with your garden landscaping, as well as the style of your home:

• a formal structure for a formal garden
• a classic design for a classically laid out garden
• a flowing design for a garden with swept paths and flowing planting borders

If your home has a distinctive architectural or artistic style, you may want to have your deck match it. For example:

• Modern & Asian Decks ~ Start with a simple yet elegant design that highlights the natural beauty of the wood, the simplicity of the design or the versatility of composites. Keep the construction details hidden or make them an integral part of the design. Create interest with deck patterns which highlight the natural grain of the wood. Use subtle or traditional lighting to create a night time mood and accent design details.
  
  
• Craftsman Decks ~ I like to use smooth planed wood beams and a simple decking pattern. For a more Greene & Greene look, you can round the edges of beams, posts and railings. Then embellish with craftsman style arbors/trellises, lighting fixtures and copper accents.
  
  
• Spanish, Mission & Southwestern Decks ~ Use natural wood for decking, stairs and simple, sturdy railings. Add in period corbels, decorative beam end cuts and post caps, along with rustic metalwork and lighting sources.
  
  
• Medieval & Mediterranean Decks ~ Start with heavy beams and posts and assemble them using simple period joinery. Carved accents, decorative metalwork and candle lanterns are nice finish accents. Stain or paint in a dark color.
  

In addition, the overall dimensions should also fit with the proportions of your home, garden, patio or stream. And if your deck encloses a tree or other landscaping, the final mature size of plants and trees should be factored into the design.

Design Criteria & Location Considerations for Wood Decks & Bridges

• Use ~ The most important design factor is how the structure will be used. The type of use (and how much it will have to withstand) determines many design requirements. Primary uses for decks include: viewing the garden, sunbathing, weekend entertaining, alfresco dining, children’s play area, summer sleeping porch, container gardening area, and outdoor cooking / BBQing. Primary needs for patio covers include: shade, heat reduction, and support for overhead lighting, plants or hanging pots. Bridges span gullys and waterways and provide convenient access to hard to reach areas. Other design issues include:
  
  • decking pattern and spacing
  • railings (style, height, spacing, cutouts)
  • access (stairs, step downs, ramps, landings, bridges and handicapped access)
  • built-ins to increase functionality (storage, benches, hot tubs, barbecue, fire pit, sandbox)
  • overhead patterns (beams, lattice, slats, shade cloth)
    
    
• Size & Shape ~ The size of the project should be in proportion to the house and garden. Decks and bridges can include multiple levels, reflect the landscape, enclose a tree, or curve around a house, pool or rock formation. Railings can be curved to follow the lines of the deck or bridge span.
  
  
• Access ~ Convenient and safe access to and from the house and garden is provide by stairs and pathways. In many cases, decks and patio covers are placed immediately off living or dining room french doors to facilitate easy access and extend entertaining areas.
  
  
• View ~ A deck or bridge provides a natural place to gather and view the garden. Consider what you want to see while sitting and standing, and what needs to be screened for privacy. A patio cover can limit your overhead view, as well as block visibility from upstairs windows (yours or your inquisitive neighbors).
  
  
• Sunlight ~ The location of the deck and the amount of shade provided by the patio cover should be based on the path of the sun, the primary usage times during the day and seasons as well as the peak and average sunlight and heat levels. Furniture (table, seating, built-ins and equipment) should be placed for convenience and sunlight/shade preferences.
  
  
• Wind ~ Strong or prevailing winds can create a need for an area of wind resistance or protection, as well as the need to take into account the path of smoke and embers when locating barbecues and fire pits.
  
  
• Water ~ Excessive moisture (from rain, hosing down, sprinklers and deep shade) can lead to premature aging and structural damage from rot and termites, as well as musty smells. Decks and patio covers should be designed to shed rain and dew readily and facilitate good drainage away from site. They should also be raised high enough off the ground to provide adequate ventilation and air flow underneath. To prevent rot, it is critical that the water drains away from under the deck. Plant containers need to be moveable or raised so overflow or draining water from the pots will not rot the deck in spots.

Material & Design Options for Wood Decks & Bridges

• Materials ~ To maximize the life of your deck, the frame should be built of pressure treated lumber with supports set in steel column bases. The decking and superstructure materials can be made of Redwood, Mangaris™ (Red Balau), Ironwoods (such as Ipe) or a fabricated wood decking composite like Trex™.
  
  
• Finishes ~ Heat and light contribute to weathering, so a UV protective finish is important. Stains (clear, tinted, or solid) and paint are popular finish choices.
  
  
• Decking ~ Deck patterns provide visual interest. Optional vents and wider spacing of deck boards may be needed to augment under deck ventilation.
  
  
• Metalwork ~ Accents, such as copper post caps or blackened iron joining straps, can enhance the style of the deck.
  
  
• Lighting ~ To illuminate steps, railings, decking and activity areas, lighting and lanterns can be set in post tops, used as finials, hung off overhangs or placed into or under the decking.

Prices For A Fine Wood or Composite Deck

Most decks are quoted by the square foot. So to get a rough idea of the budget you need, first measure the length and width you want. Then multiply the length times the width to get your square footage. Once you know the size of your deck, multiply by the price per square foot to create a "ballpark price" range.

There are four price ranges for wood decks: basic, custom and high end and specialty.

• A basic deck costs between $18 - $25 and will include decking, railing, stairs and a simple frame (usually not made with pressure treated wood). For this type of structure, please see my related links.
  
  
• In the custom price range, which is much of what I build, the price runs from $25 to $45 per square foot. This gives you a unique design which matches the style and layout of your home and features a substructure of pressure treated lumber.
  
  
• A high end deck, which I am happy to build for my clients if their budget permits, is made of the highest quality woods and hardware, and incorporates built-ins and lots of craftsmanship details. The cost can range from $45 to $100 per square foot.
  
  
• A specialty deck, such as a cantilever over a steep hillside, can entail additional costs for soil analysis and structural engineering as well as drilling and installing support pylons. All of which can add from $10,000 to $30,000 to the price. If you need this kind of deck, look for a major contractor who has access to the special equipment and expertise required. Having them do the entire project will save you money.

Additional Resources and Related Links

If you need more ideas or inspiration for your design, check out these resources:

• Design Ideas for Decks
  This book provides inspiration and ideas for creating a great deck.   LA Public Library book
  
  
• A Portfolio of Unique Deck Ideas
  This book is an excellent resource for ideas with over 100 photos of decks.   LA Public Library book
  
  
• Deck Designs: Plus Railings, Planters, Benches by Stephen Cory
  This book provides inspiration and ideas by showcasing 25 deck designs.  
  
  
• Taunton's Deck & Patio Idea Book
  This book has lots of ideas and photos of decks, arbors, pergolas and patio covers.  LA Public Library book
  
  
• Deck & Patio Planner and Decks: Your Guide To Designing & Building by Better Homes & Gardens
  These books have many photos as well as pages that highlight custom features such as deck patterns, built-ins, outdoor kitchens, and hot tubs.   LA Public Library book
  
  
• Start to Finish Decks by Martin Miller / Larry Erikson / Ortho Series
  This comprehensive book covers every aspect of decks, from design and planning through construction and accessories. Includes sketches of benches, BBQs and how to add functionality into a deck.   LA Public Library book
  
  
• Decks.com
  This site has hundreds of photos of decks, built-ins and patio covers.
  

• Trex.com Photo Gallery
  This site features 25+ photos of decks and porches made with Trex™, a popular composite material I use.
  
  
• Mangaris™ Decking Photo Gallery
  This site features 25 photos of decks, stairs, and fencing.
  
  
• Image Search
  You can search the image archives at Google Images, Yahoo Images, MSN or your favorite search engine to find inspiration from architectural showcase homes, historical buildings and DIY projects.
  
  

If you live outside of the Los Angeles area and want to find a local deck builder, check out these online sites:

• Elyira Fence Company of Northern Ohio
  This firm builds custom arbors, fences, and decks in Ohio and their work is featured in the Trellises & Arbors book.
  
  
• Artistic Decks & Arbors of Dallas TX
  This company builds custom decks, arbors, patio covers, fences and gates and their site features over 100+ photos of their work.
  
  
• Woods Shop of San Diego CA
  This master wood craftsman specializes in designing decks and Japanese garden architecture (see page 2 also). They can design a custom deck for you over the Internet.
  
  
• Al Terry Design / New York Decks, NYC
  High end builder of decks in New York City, who uses composites and IPE.
  
  
• Deckwright of Atlanta, GA
  This firm, headed by an architect, designs and builds signature porches and decks. Site includes renderings for 10 standard decks.
  
  
• Garden-Architecture.com of San Francisco, CA
  A high end landscape architect firm which designs and builds beautiful decks and other garden architecture.

Portfolio of Wood and Composite Decks & Garden Bridges

My online portfolio features project photos so you can get an idea of the variety of decks and bridges I can build. I specialize in creating client inspired designs -- so if you see an example of exactly what you want (or something close), we can use that as a starting point for your design. Or you can let me create a custom design that matches your home's architectural style.

If you need ideas and inspiration, check out the resources above, clip magazine pictures, look through your vacation photos and keep an eye out for what you like in the neighborhood. The more you know about what you like and don't the easier it is to create and build something you will be delighted with for years to come.

Modern Style Decks & Garden Bridges

Modern Wood Deck with Add-On Patio Cover Pasadena, California 2003 Mangaris™ decking with pressure treated 2 x 4 sleepers over existing concrete pad 16 feet by 30 feet Deck Budget: Starting at $42 per square foot Enlarge photo Deck before I added the patio cover

Decked Walkway A patio cover was added to the original wood deck pictured above. (Check out these other patio covers.) Enlarge photo

Small, Multi-level Wood Garden Bridge A wood bridge system was added to the original wood deck pictured above to connect the new deck with an existing deck. (An example of work done in the Los Angeles area.)

Modern Mangaris™ Elevated Deck Silver Lake, California 2006 Mangaris™ decking 8 feet by 36 feet Deck Budget: Starting at $45 per square foot Enlarge photo Stairwell Detail House View

Craftsman Style Decks

Composite Decking

Multi-level Trex™ Deck with Built-ins Hollywood Hills, California 2003 Cream colored Trex™ decking over a pressure treated deck frame 20 feet by 22 feet by 6 feet Budget: Starting at $45 per square foot