Peter A. Kirsch-Korff

Builder of Fine Wood Arbors, Decks, Fences, Gates & More

Los Angeles Pasadena Hollywood Hills Hancock Park Malibu

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Pressure Treated Wood Deck Frame with Green Preservative

High Quality Construction Materials, Techniques and Details

When I first started in this business, I demolished old structures for the first few years at cost to learn how and why they failed. I use this knowledge today to build strong and durable structures for my clients.

Some of the things I do include ...

Hand Select Materials

I look for best wood I can get at the time -- and I am choosey enough to sort through a 400 fence boards to get the 100 I will accept. Sapwood, warped or waterlogged boards, splintered or cracked lumber is not acceptable if you want your project to last.

For example, I would reject the three boards on the left because of too much sapwood and uneven coloring.

Hand Selecting Redwood Boards For Fences and Decks

Set Column Bases in Concrete

All my support posts are set above ground in heavy duty steel column bases, which are in turn set into deep concrete filled holes. The column bases hole the wood posts slightly above ground level, eliminating the widespread problem of posts rotting out at ground level.

Here, a coating of preservative has been applied to the bottom of the post. .

Support post secured to steel column base and coated with preservative (high qulaity construction technique in Los Angeles area )

Use Heavy Duty, Exterior Grade Fasteners

All my fastners and screws are heavy duty and exterior grade to prevent early failure. I use fastners and screws that are specifically rated for the new pressure treated materials.

This close-up shows how I use hurricane ties to strengthen joints.

Apply Additional Preservative

I treat potential trouble spots and failure points with an additional application of wood preservative to protect against decay in these critical areas. Here, you can see the additional coating of green preservative applied to the top of the beams where they will come into contact with the decking boards.

High Quality Details

I also build in custom construction details to make your garden architecture more functional and beautiful. In addition to deck board patterns and notched beam construction, I build using ...

Use Color Matched Screws

I use a variety of exterior grade screws to avoid unsightly stains that over time create a dark run that drips down the wood.

In this example, the screws are color matched to the wood. In case you have trouble seeing them, the screw line starts just above the copyright sign.

Color Matched Wood Screws for Decks, Fences, Gates and Pergolas

Create Interesting Deck Board Patterns

A close up view of the square stitch pattern I used when laying the boards. I place deck seams directly above an extra wide cross beam for full support of both ends, as well as stagger them for strength and a more pleasing appearance.

To reduce splintering I round over deck edges. These are spaced 1/8 inch apart to allow for expansion.

More patterns


Arbors	Decks	Fences	Gates	Treehouses	Pavilions & More

Serving the Los Angeles area communities of Altadena, Arcadia, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Bradbury, Brentwood, Burbank, Encino, Glendale, Hermosa Beach, Hollywood, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Los Angeles, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Marina Del Rey, Monrovia, Montrose, Newport Beach, Northridge, Pacific Palisades, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Pasadena, Playa Del Rey, Rolling Hills Estates, San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, San Marino, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Sierra Madre, Silver Lake, South Bay, South Pasadena, Studio City, Van Nuys, Venice, West Covina, West Hollywood, Westchester, Westwood, Woodland Hills, and West Los Angeles.

California Licensed Contractor #701028