Answer Hub
Homeowner answers
Straight answers from an architect-trained craftsman about decks, pergolas, wood restoration and outdoor living in North County San Diego.
Showing 31 to 60 of 202 answers, newest first RSS feed
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My deck is longer than the boards. Do I need a breaker board, or can the joints be staggered?
When a deck is longer than the boards you can buy, typically 16 or 20 feet, you have three choices: stagger butt joints across the field, run a breaker board…
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Can a pergola work in a narrow side yard or a small courtyard?
Yes, and these are some of the best pergolas we build. A narrow space wants a pergola that spans wall to wall or attaches to the house on one side, so posts…
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What are the best deck and pergola strategies for a small backyard?
In a small yard, build one good room instead of several small ones. Fill the width edge to edge so the deck reads as floor rather than a platform in a lawn…
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Do I need to rinse salt off my deck and pergola if I live near the beach?
If you are close enough to the water that salt film shows up on your windows, yes: a fresh-water rinse every few weeks during the dry months helps. Salt does…
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What is California's SB 721 balcony inspection law, and does it apply to my building?
SB 721, now Health and Safety Code Section 17973, requires owners of buildings with three or more dwelling units to have their wood-supported balconies, decks…
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Tree roots are lifting my pavers. Can I fix the walkway without killing the tree?
Usually, yes. Pavers are the most forgiving surface to have over roots because they can be lifted, the base adjusted and the pavers reset without demolition…
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How tall can my fence be, and who sets the rules?
Fence height is set by your city's zoning code, not by the building code, and the two work differently. Zoning typically allows taller fences along side and…
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How should I photograph my yard or deck so I can get an accurate quote?
Take photos in flat, even light, not harsh midday sun. Start wide: stand at each corner of the area and shoot toward the opposite corner so the whole space and…
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One of my pergola posts is rotting. Can it be replaced without taking the pergola down?
Usually yes. A single rotted pergola or patio cover post can be replaced with the structure standing, as long as the beams it carries are sound. The beam is…
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What is an under-deck drainage system, and can it make the space below my deck dry?
An under-deck drainage system catches the water that falls between the deck boards and carries it to a gutter at the edge, so the space below can be a dry…
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Retractable canopy or fixed slats: which is better on a pergola near the coast?
Fixed slats win on durability and looks; a retractable canopy wins on flexibility. Slats are wood, they never jam, and they weather with the pergola. A canopy…
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How are exterior wood shutters refinished, and is it worth doing near the coast?
Exterior wood shutters are refinished by taking them down, repairing loose louvers and rotted bottom rails, stripping or sanding the failed finish, priming…
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Why does my shaded deck or fence turn green and black, and how do I get rid of it?
Green film is algae and black speckling is mildew, and both grow where wood stays damp: the north side of the house, under trees, behind planters and anywhere…
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How do I design a deck or pergola that frames the view instead of blocking it?
Decide where you will sit, then design everything around the sightline from that seat. Keep posts out of the center of the view and use them as a frame at the…
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Why do my deck stairs feel unsafe, and what makes outdoor stairs safe?
Outdoor stairs feel unsafe for three predictable reasons: the risers are not all the same height, there is no handrail you can actually grip, or the treads are…
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What should I know before building a horizontal slat fence or privacy screen?
Horizontal slat fences and screens look clean and modern, but they are less forgiving than a picket fence. The boards span post to post with nothing holding…
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How far ahead do materials need to be ordered for a deck or pergola, and what takes longest?
Framing lumber, pressure-treated posts and standard hardware are usually in stock at local yards, so they rarely hold up a project. The items that take longest…
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Why are my pavers sinking and spreading at the edges, and how are they fixed?
Pavers sink when the base under them was too thin, never compacted, or has been washed out by water; they spread when there is no edge restraint holding the…
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What size posts should my pergola have: 4x4, 6x6 or bigger?
For almost any pergola a person can stand under, 6x6 is the right starting point. A 4x4 is fine for a small arbor, but on a full-size pergola it looks spindly…
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The bottom of my exterior door jamb is soft. How is door jamb and threshold rot repaired?
The bottom few inches of an exterior door jamb rot because water collects at the threshold, and most older doors have no sill pan underneath to carry it out…
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My wood gate has gone gray and started to sag. Can it be refinished, or does it need to be replaced?
Most gray gates can be refinished, but the sag has to be fixed first or the finish is wasted. A gate sags because its joints have loosened or the hinge post…
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Can I use the space under my deck for storage, and how do I get into it?
Yes, if it stays dry enough and you can reach it. The space under a deck will hold cushions, tools, kayaks and surfboards as long as two things are designed…
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How can I get privacy from my neighbors in the backyard without building a tall wall?
Privacy is about blocking a specific sightline, not surrounding yourself. Sit where you will sit and note where you can be seen from: a second-story window…
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How far apart can deck railing balusters be, and what is the 4-inch sphere rule?
The residential building code says a guard cannot have any opening that lets a 4-inch sphere pass through, from the deck surface up to the required guard…
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My wood gate sags and drags on the ground. How do I fix it?
A sagging gate is almost always one of three things: a hinge post that has leaned, hinges that are too light or have pulled their screws, or a gate frame with…
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What cleaning products are safe for a wood or composite deck near the ocean?
For most cleaning, a deck cleaner based on sodium percarbonate, often sold as oxygen bleach, plus a stiff brush does the job on both wood and composite without…
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How can I make my sloped backyard usable with terraces?
Terracing turns one slope into two or three level platforms held by low walls, each with its own purpose: a dining terrace at the house, a lawn or garden level…
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Should I tell my neighbors before an outdoor project starts, and what hours can construction work happen?
Yes, tell the neighbors who share a fence line or will hear the saws, ideally a week or two before work starts. Say what is being built, roughly how long it…
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Why does wood rot where it meets the stucco on my house, and how is that fixed?
Stucco and wood move differently, so the joint between them opens up, lets water in, and then holds that water against the wood while the stucco dries slowly…
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How is peeling exterior wood trim and fascia refinished properly?
Peeling trim and fascia are refinished by finding out why the paint failed, then rebuilding the whole system: scrape and sand the loose coating, probe every…
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