Ledgers, beams, joists and footings. The part nobody photographs, and the only part that decides whether it is still solid in fifteen years.
When a deck fails it is almost never the decking. It is the ledger connection at the house, or footings that did not go deep enough for Alberta frost. Both are completely invisible once the boards are down, which is exactly why they are the two places a fast build saves time.
The ledger has to be fastened to actual structure with the right hardware and flashed so water does not sit against the rim joist for a decade. Footings have to go below frost depth or the deck lifts and drops with the ground every year until something tears. Get the structure right and the surface is easy. Get it wrong and the surface is the only part that ever looked fine.
Almost always the ledger. If it was fastened into sheathing rather than structure, or never flashed, the connection gets weaker every year while looking perfectly normal from above. It is the single most important connection on a deck and the easiest to do badly.
Below frost depth for the municipality, which in the Edmonton area is a significant dig. Shallow footings let the ground lift and drop the deck every winter until connections tear apart. It is not a place to save an afternoon of digging.
Our scope is the structure, which is the part that determines whether the deck is safe and whether it lasts. Surface decking and railing finishes are often handled by the homeowner or another trade. Tell us the plan and we will frame to suit it.
Usually above a certain height or size, and it varies between Edmonton and the surrounding communities. The permit is between you and the municipality rather than something we pull. We build to the approved drawings so the structural inspection goes smoothly rather than turning into a negotiation.
Fastest way to get a number is a phone call with the drawings in front of you. The form works too.
Thanks. We will get back to you shortly. If it is urgent, call 587.938.6601. Plan sets can be emailed to [email protected].