Diamond Certified Resource Decks & Patios Guide
undefined
Read MoreMILL VALLEY — In the past, many wood decks were built with Douglas fir wood, but time has shown it’s not a good material to use due to its susceptibility to rot. During my 30 years as a deck builder in Marin County, I’ve had to replace countless Douglas fir decks that were rotted out, which in many cases created very dangerous conditions. In particular, if a deck’s support beams are compromised, they could potentially break and cause the whole thing to fall apart. For this reason, if you have an old Douglas fir deck, I recommend having it professionally assessed for safety. If you need to replace a Douglas fir deck, don’t repeat the same mistake that was made in the past: Use a high-quality, Read more
LIVERMORE — No matter what kind of home improvement project you’re planning, chances are you’ll need to invest some time and money into preparation. Doing so will allow you to get the best possible result with your project. Here are two examples of why preparation is important: Tile flooring Before laying down floor tiles, the subfloor needs to be assessed and prepared. Due to tile’s rigidity, if the subfloor isn’t level, some tiles will sit higher than others, resulting in “lipping” that can cause both an eyesore and a safety hazard. Waterproofing measures are also needed to prevent water intrusion issues after installation. By taking the time to ensure a level, Read more
SEBASTOPOL — Many people love authentic wood decks, but not everyone wants to deal with the maintenance they require. That’s why, over the last two decades, we’ve seen a profusion of non-wood or “composite” decking materials hit the market, each of which has achieved varying degrees of quality and performance. From the beginning, composite decking manufacturers have faced two main challenges. The first is achieving the appearance of authentic wood; after all, homeowners may not want the maintenance that comes with real wood, but they do want the aesthetics. The second challenge is preventing excessive heat buildup in warm weather, a common problem due to the sheer density of composite materials. One of the most recent products to hit the market comes closer than ever to meeting these challenges: Zuri® Premium Decking by Royal®. Read more
ANTIOCH — Living space is a precious commodity these days, especially in the Bay Area, where housing prices are higher than most other parts of the country. Whether your house is occupied with people or possessions (or both), you may find you don’t have quite the amount of space you used to. However, this may be a result not of insufficient space but of space being poorly utilized. That’s why, before you think about upgrading to a bigger house, it’s worthwhile to look at your current one and consider ways to improve your use of the space. There are many ways to improve the use of living space in a home. Anything from a bedroom to a hallway or closet can potentially be altered, Read more
OAKLAND — If you’re remodeling your home, one of the most important things you can do is check to see what’s behind your walls. Why? Because if there’s any hidden mold or mildew, it could jeopardize your entire project. In most cases, it’s impossible to know whether mold or mildew is present behind the walls in a home, but it’s better to find out for sure than to make a wrong assumption. This is especially important if you live in an older home, where the combination of time and inferior building methods and materials increases the opportunity for mold or mildew issues to take root. Consider a real-life example from a home addition project I recently did in Berkeley. Read more
