Sonoma Deck with High Five Railing
Filed Under Uncategorized · Tagged: building decks, deckmaster hidden bracket, heart redwood, high five railing, railing design, sonoma deck builder
“High Five” Railing with a View in sonoma County, California
This expansive deck commands views of the whole Sonoma Valley all the way to San Pablo Bay. Our challenge was to preserve the view without incurring the expense of stainless steel cable rail. The solution was to use “High Five” square wire panels. These come in 5’x16’ panels of galvanized #4 wire that is extremely rigid and durable. We used a metal cutting grinder blade to cut each section to fit. Each cut wire end was then painted with red oxide paint to prevent future rust. The result was the great view you see here at a much lower cost than cable rail.
Our client chose construction heart redwood for its beauty and durability. We installed it using our patented Deckmaster Hidden Brackets so there are no holes or screw heads to mar the surface of the deck. The Deckmaster Bracket also prevents water from penetrating into the joist so the new deck should last three times longer than the deck it replaced.
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Mill Valley, California, Furniture Grade Deck
Filed Under Fine Decks · Tagged: building decks, cable rail, deck, deck builder, deckmaster hidden bracket, furniture grade deck, ipe hardwood, mill valley deck
The view of San Francisco Bay is the prime feature of this Mill Valley (Marin County) location and we wanted it to be as unobstructed as possible. We ruled out tempered glass which requires regular cleaning and Cable Rail seemed like the best option. Our client initially wanted a composite deck but after he saw ipe he realized that the stunning appearance of this exotic hardwood could not be passed up.
Built with Ipe Hardwood
Ipe is in my opinion, among the best deck woods in the world. It comes from South America, is highly rot resistant, and is 80% harder than oak. Ipe is also one of the most expensive deck materials both to purchase and install. Building a deck with Ipe is literally like building a large piece of furniture. It takes about twice as long to install a deck with ipe versus redwood or composite decking.
Every Screw Hidden
With wood this beautiful, the last things we wanted to see were screw holes in the floor. Of course we used the Deckmaster Hidden Bracket in most locations. However, due to the design of the understructure, many deck boards sat directly on top of beams which left no access for Deckmaster Brackets. There were also many areas on the rail that needed screws. In all these areas we elected to hide our screws using ipe plugs. This is quite time consuming because we had to pre-drill, countersink, drive the screw and then glue in the plug. The results however were well worth the effort.
Custom Notching Around Posts
Building with ipe requires every cut to be precise. It really tests the skill of the builder to notch around posts and other obstructions. Some of the deck boards on this project took three hours to cut and install. We just had to keep fussing until they came out right.
Stainless Steel Cable Rail Ices the Cake
There are a number of Cable Rail manufacturers. We selected a product by Feeney (http://www.cablerail.com/) because it seemed to be the most complete system and readily available at our local lumber yards. They start with marine grade stainless steel and include all the components required to make installation simple. Simple does not mean easy though, especially when building with ipe. Just drilling through the 4×4 posts gave us fits. Several drill bits ended up looking like ornate pieces of pasta after the ipe twisted them up.
There has been some controversy about how to make cable rails comply with building code regulations. The cable must be 1/8” diameter and spaced no more than 3” apart. When a 50 pound weight is hung from the cable, the space between cables may not exceed 4” at any point.
One thing I really like about ipe is that there are several styles of shaped rail caps available. They look and feel like fine furniture and nobody can resist reaching out and their hands along the cap.
Miguel Flores – Foreman
Alberto Curcio – Head Carpenter
Eli Jacobs – Carpenter
Paul Klawiter – Carpenter’s Apprentice
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The proud owner of this stunning deck was interviewed by the Prime Buyers Report and I was happy to receive the following email:
“Good afternoon Weston,
I just had a lovely chat with Bill Fxxx. He loves you and couldn’t say enough good things about your work. When he answered the phone, I told him you’d given me his name as a reference and I was wondering about his experience with Deckmaster Fine Decks. He said the truth is that your ego is completely wrapped up in the quality of your work. He raved about how he is thrilled with the deck, and he was blown away that you took time to cut out paper templates and even used scrap wood to cut exact pieces to ensure they’d fit before you cutting the ipe. He told me every contractor who comes to his house says “wow” and comments how great the deck is. He also said your work is flawless, and he told me that your background in furniture making makes a difference–nothing in his house looks as great as his deck. 
What a wonderful reference he is for you. You should be very proud your customers are so devoted to you and in love with your work. I’m so glad I had the chance to talk with you and share your information with the public. I hope we help find you many more thrilled customers.
Have a great day,
Lauren
Lauren Bongard Schwarz
Associate Editor
The Prime Buyer’s Report”
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About Weston Leavens – Inventor and Award Winning Master Deck Builder
Filed Under Uncategorized · Tagged: building decks, deck builder, redwood deck, sonoma deck builder
| Highlights of Weston Leavens’ long career as a deck builder: |
Invented and patented Deckmaster Hidden Brackets Winner – National Redwood Deck Contest Over 25 years of deck and patio cover experience Appeared on “Designing Spaces” television show Frequent guest on “On the House with the Carey Brothers” nationally syndicated radio program. Winner – “Build a Deck, Win a Deck” contest sponsored by the California Redwood Association.
Weston Leavens and Master Deck Builder are synonymous. He brings decades of inventiveness and award winning perfection in design and construction to the deck building craft. If you’re seeking eye appeal and lasting quality, you’ve come to the right place. Just looking at a few of the illustrations of Weston’s work throughout this site cannot help but convince you.
Weston Leavens started building decks and patio covers in San Diego during the building boom of the early 1980’s. The market at that time was flooded with fast production, low quality builders and there were few craftsmen who specialized in custom work. With a background in both framing and finish carpentry, Weston used the principles of both to build solid structures of enduring beauty. He recognized that the minute an outdoor project is finished it begins to be attacked by the elements. This type of building requires knowledge of the characteristics of all materials, from wood and composites to fasteners and connectors.
| National and Local Awards |
Driven by a passion for excellence, Weston soon became the premier deck builder in San Diego County. His work won awards at the Del Mar Fair and was featured for years as the entrance to the Flower and Garden Show. One beautiful deck project was the top professional entry in the National Redwood Deck Contest sponsored by the California Redwood Association and Home Mechanix Magazine.
As a builder who is also an ardent environmentalist, Weston was troubled by a serious problem inherent in deck construction. In Southern California the lifespan of decks was only 10 to 12 years. The nails holding the deck boards down, quickly started popping up and became unsafe requiring costly maintenance. Water penetrating into the joists through the nail holes caused the joists to deteriorate and rot.
| Invention of The Deckmaster Hidden Bracket |
The search for a better way to build a deck led to the invention and patent of the Deckmaster Hidden Bracket. This innovative product solved the problems of water penetration while building a deck of unsurpassed beauty. Deckmaster Brackets not only became and remain the quality leader in deck construction but also spawned the hidden deck fastening industry. Today many products offer hidden fastening. They all claim to be easier and faster but none purport to be better quality than Deckmaster.
As the demand for the Deckmaster Hidden Bracket grew, Weston decided to close his construction business and concentrate on manufacturing and marketing. Within two years Deckmaster was distributed to lumberyards and building material stores nationally. In 1998, Weston sold the company and patent to Grabber Construction Products. After taking a year off to travel with his family, Weston became the National Sales Manager for Grabber focusing on the Deckmaster Hidden Bracket. In that capacity he travelled the country training deck builders, retailers and distributors. He also expanded his own knowledge of deck building techniques and state of the art materials.
| Public Appearances |
Weston has served as a consultant throughout the country, helping builders and homeowners solve their deck construction and design problems. He was a featured seminar presenter at the first ever Deck Expo in Atlanta, teaching the fine points of deck fastening to over 250 builders. He has been featured several times as the deck expert on “On the House with the Carey Brothers” national radio program and in a nationally televised interview on “Designing Spaces”.
Today Weston and his wife Jenny have their own deck and patio cover specialty company in Sonoma County serving the north San Francisco Bay and Wine Country of Northern California. Weston is available for design and construction consultation by phone and online. He can also travel to your job site anywhere in the world on a per diem basis.
Weston, Jenny and their son Garth live on two rural acres near Sebastopol, California in the heart of Russian River wine region. Weston designs, consults, and supervises deck construction while Jenny serves as marketing director. Garth is a recent graduate of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, and currently is enrolled in the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo.
Tags: building decks, deck builder, redwood deck, sonoma deck builder
Weston Leavens and Master Deck Builder are synonymous. He brings decades of inventiveness and award winning perfection in design and construction to the deck building craft. If you're seeking eye appeal and lasting quality, you've come to the right place. Just looking at a few of the illustrations of Weston's work throughout this site cannot help but convince you.