Local Areas – Free Consultation and Estimate:

Weston Leavens has designed and built hundreds of outdoor projects over the last 25 years. During your initial FREE CONSULTATION you will benefit from his expertise as together you design and discuss your project.

Your consultation will include:

Legal Considerations

• Meeting Code Requirements
• Setbacks
• Permits
• Engineering
• Zoning

Designing the project

• Repair or replace existing structures
• Client vision of project
• Blending project with architecture of house and landscape
• Layout suitable for proposed usage
• Maintenance requirements
• Materials choices

Site evaluation

• Views – What to accent and what to hide
• Access- Steps, stairs, walkways, doors
• Privacy Issues
• Foliage- Debris from overhanging trees
• Trees – Deck may be built around trunks
• Slopes- Hillside or flat terrain

Troubleshooting and problems solving of existing projects

• Job abandoned by prior contractor or builder
• Improve or clarify existing plans
• Bring existing structures up to code
• Failures of wood, composites or fastening systems

Non-Local Consultations

Weston Leavens has traveled throughout the United States consulting on deck issues. He is available for phone, email and onsite consultation.

Initial non-local consultation by phone or email is free.

Further non-local consultation fee is $125.00 per hour plus travel expenses if applicable.

Do- It-Yourself Support

Are you a do-it-yourself builder who desires professional results at a fraction of the cost for a contractor? Or do you belong to a church group or other non-profit organization that needs a well built deck on a limited budget? If you have willing hands but need some knowhow and supervision, Deckmaster Fine Decks consulting services may be the answer to your needs.

In addition to providing all of the above consulting services, Weston Leavens can instruct your crew and supervise your project. Deckmaster Fine Decks can even provide a skilled deck builder on an hourly basis to work with you and make your job easier.

As noted above, initial consultation is free so you can access the expertise of one of the nation’s top deck specialists without obligation.

Hi Weston,

I’ve finally had a chance to collect my thoughts. I decided to break the recommendation into two parts so it is easier to read. Here is my recommendation . . .

DECK

We sought out the services of Deckmaster Fine Decks because we wanted to use the Deckmaster hidden fastener system. We wanted a builder who could construct a deck, stairs and a bench so that it would look like finely crafted furniture. We also wanted to use synthetic decking.

Weston and his team at Deckmaster came through with a fine carpentry look with almost no visible screws. Corners and trim are finely mitered. The deck is seamlessly on level with an adjacent tile patio. Deckmaster expertise with the hidden faster system as well as synthetic decking has provided us with a beautiful, low maintenance and very strong deck.

Deckmaster is fully licensed, bonded and insured. The contract paperwork for the job is handled in a most professional manner. A four year warranty on workmanship is provided.

FENCE

It was a surprise to discover that Deckmaster builds fabulous fences!

We had hired Deckmaster to construct a deck for us, but we also wanted a fence. The desired fence required the construction of a picket and cutout pattern. It also had to stand up under a considerable wind load as we live in an area that can get high winds.

Weston Leavens at Deckmaster worked with us to design a robust anchoring system for the fence pickets and cross stringers. He also was careful to choose stainless steel screws so that the fence would not streak with screw corrosion. He was meticulous about his selection of wood. Many builders would not weed out poorly cut fence boards, but Weston did.

Weston also was careful to construct the fence along a grade in our back yard so that the top of the fence pickets are at a steady angle. The effect is very pleasing to the eye.

The fence reflects the attention to detail and craftsmanship that Deckmaster is able to provide. It has helped to transform our back yard into a fairytale like space.

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

######

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”