Toronto presents several unique challenges to those who want to add a backyard deck to their home. Those who take these issues into consideration during the planning and building of their deck will likely experience a happy ending to their deck addition project. Those who ignore them are more than likely to have their deck undone by these forces.
Deck Contractors on Building in Toronto
We’ve polled a group of deck contractors in the GTA to get their feedback on what they consider some of the major issues/challenges facing local residents who would like to add a deck onto their home. Here are their top answers.
- Climate/Materials – Toronto receives more than 4 feet of snow per year. Temperatures can hover in the single digits for weeks at a time. In the summer the mercury can push 100 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity. This is no place for a poorly built deck. Pressure treated lumber is the way to go for support while for the decking consider wood plastic composite (WPC). It won’t crack, shrink or warp and never requires restaining.
- Design – If you want a hot tub or jacuzzi on your deck and you place it too far from the door it may be inaccessible on super cold nights. Bring any such amenities in toward the house so that they’re easy to use regardless of the weather. You may also want to include a roof over your deck but if you do, make sure it’s built to handle the weight of accumulated snow.
- When to build – In a place like Florida deck contractors are busy year round. It’s safe to say however, that the GTA is not Florida. During the summer months deck contractors here are typically booked for months. Once the weather begins to change the wait can shrink to 2 or 3 weeks and by the end of November you may be looking at no wait. Build in the winter. You’ll have the contractor’s attention and you’ll get a good price.
- Snow removal – Light snow can be removed with a broom. Heavier snow will require a shovel. But make sure it’s a plastic shovel so you don’t do irreparable damage to the surface of your deck. Also, never dump snow from your roof onto your deck and make sure to nip any growing icicles in the bud when they’re small lest they break off later and damage your deck.
- Deck size – If you don’t do your homework you may go ahead and build a beautifully expansive deck only to find out that it’s in violation of local building codes. That’s because if it’s more than 4 feet off the ground its area may count toward the total square footage of your home. If the total square footage is too great you could be ordered to remove the deck.
In Addition: Ipe and cedar are the two best natural woods to use for decking here. Never use a pick to remove ice from your deck. Never use a snowblower on your deck and always get permits before beginning to build.
Toronto Decks and Fence Company has been building beautifully dependable backyard decks for more than ten years. As one of the area’s premier deck contractors we’re well aware of the thousand little things that need to be considered when building outdoor structures in the GTA. You can be sure that the deck we build for you will look just as good and be just as strong at the end of the long Ontario winter as it was at the start. Call us today on 416-238-2589 for more information about adding a deck to your home.