We are happy to announce that we have become an authorized Duradek waterproof PVC decking membrane installer. We went up to Auburn Washington in December of 2011 to do an eight hour training at their Northwest headquarters and we are now authorized to install the product in the Portland metro area. Duradek is the industry leader in waterproof deck membranes and we can now offer a ten year warantee on any 60 mil. Duradek we install. You can see a small Duradek project we did recently in the drop down menu of our project gallery under waterproof decks. One great thing about Duradek besides it being the industry leader is that it comes in about twenty different colors. To see all the colors available and learn more about the product check out their site: duradeknorthwest.com. We feel that Duradek is a superior product to other competing products and look forward to becoming one of the main installation companies in the Portland area!

-Deck building: We do demolition of old decks and build new decks. We use all materials for the surface but the most common would be wood decks, cedar decks, composite decks, PVC decks, hardwood decks (Ipe, Mahogany, etc.), and waterproof decks (PVC membrane decks.) All framing is always pressure treated lumber.

-Deck design: Included in your free estimate is a 2-D rendering of the layout of the new deck, unless it is a square or rectangle in which case we will just list the dimensions in the proposal.

-Deck maintenance: We do cleaning, sanding, and staining of both cedar and hardwood decks.

-Deck repair: Sometimes the deck just needs a little TLC and doesn’t need to be replaced. In that case we will do whatever is necessary to bring it back to a safe and attractive condition.

-Railings: Not all decks have railings but there are various options available for decks that do. We do metal railings, wood railings, composite railings, aluminum railings, and stainless steel cable railings.

We use Crystalite.com  for our aluminum and stainless steel cable railings, Timbertech.com for our composite and PVC decks and railings, and Fortressiron.com for our galvanized and powder coated iron railings. Feel free to check out our galleries to see examples of past work we have done.

-Chris

http://www.google.com/profiles/deckmastersllc

This is where many people find our business during the busy season when we show up high in the search listing. Another good place to look if you are a member is Angie’s list. You can find us there just by logging in to Angieslist.com and searching for us. You do have to pay a membership fee to use their service however.

A third place to see independent reviews is Servicemagic.com. This is a lead referral service. It is similar to Angie’s list because people review companies there but it is different because they charge contractors for leads. This isn’t as good of a resource as Angie’s list or Google Maps but you can still see some independent reviews.

Another site where we have been featured is Insideoutadditions.com. They did a little feature on us for some of the projects we have done that they liked. We were also a featured contractor on Timbertech.com. Timbertech is the main type of composite we use for our composite decks and they made us a featured contractor in fall of 2009. We are also a member in good standing of the Elite contractor program with Timbertech which means they have reviewed our Timbertech projects and given us a seal of approval for the quality of our work.

Overall, if you review any or all of these sites you will see that we have independently verified positive customer reviews across the board. On sites where they have a graded rating system we exclusively have “A” ratings. There isn’t much more we can say than that, customer reviews don’t lie. At Deck Masters building decks is our passion. Customer service is our priority.

As fall approaches people are thinking about their fences and decks a little less but they are starting to think more about staying dry. We have been seeing an increase in requests for patio covers and under deck drainage systems lately. Patio covers are a pretty obvious choice for staying dry if there is nothing above your deck. But many people are surprised to find out that there are attractive systems that can be installed underneath an upper deck to keep the area below dry as well. We recommend two different systems. One is called Dryspace and is made by composite decking manufacturer Timbertech. The other is called Drysnap. Both work well and it is a matter of both the existing design of the deck and the customer’s preference of appearance as to which system is chosen. Check out the photos below to get an idea of what they look like. You can also look in the project gallery to see more photos of these projects.

Owner, Chris Marquand

At Deck Masters, LLC I strive to make the construction process as smooth and hassle free for the
customer as I can. I own a small company and almost always answer every call immediately and always return calls within the day. That is the first point to stress, I don’t have the large overhead or size of business that can cause frustrations in the building process. It’s very simple, you deal with myself, Chris Marquand. I will meet with you at your house, give you your bid by e-mail usually within two days, and I will be personally involved with each job from beginning to end.

I use quality materials, quality craftsmanship, and quality employees. We take the time to get it right the first time so there are no call backs later. I truly enjoy constructing decks for people and I think it shows with the final result. There is no better feeling than walking away from a job site knowing you created a beautiful space for people to enjoy for decades to come. It is truly rewarding for myself, my staff, and my customers. So give me a call today, I look forward to building you a great deck. At Deck Masters, LLC, “Building decks is our passion. Customer service is our priority.”

Chris Marquand, Owner

of Deck Masters, LLC. We are not some large company that sends out hordes of untrained crews to throw together hastily built fences. We are a small business where the owner, myself, visits every job site. I believe that quality materials, quality craftsmanship, and a focus on customer service is the way to build a better fence.

To start with, we use true 3/4″ Western red cedar for our fence boards whereas many companies only use 9/16″ or 5/8″ boards like you find at home improvement centers. The size matters because a thinner board is more likely to warp or break and the species matters because the wrong type of wood won’t last as long in the Oregon rain. Another important fact is the source of the fence boards. Our fencing will actually have deep reds and pinks in it indicating it came from older trees, has more protective oils in it, and will thus last longer. When we finish building you a fence your yard will actually smell like cedar, it is a wonderful aromatic smell that only comes from high quality cedar. For the structure we use pressure treated 4x4s for posts and set all our posts two feet deep in concrete so that the fence will never lean. We also use pressure treated 2x4s for our fence rails because they last the longest.

One of the biggest fence companies in Portland actually uses standard Hem-fir rails for their fences (the cheapest option) and doesn’t even offer the option of using pressure treated rails. When I discovered this fact I called the company to ask why. The salesman I talked to told me that pressure treated rails weren’t necessary because the rails don’t contact the ground and that the standard Fir rails would last just as long. That is interesting, basically he was saying that while they use cedar for the fence boards because they lasts longer and pressure treated lumber for the posts, untreated Fir was just fine for the structural rails. If that were truly the case, why wouldn’t they just use Hem-Fir for the fence boards too? The answer is that consumers are educated enough to know that cedar is the appropriate material for fence boards but not as educated about the rest of the fence. By using standard Fir 2x4s for the rails a company can save themselves around fifty cents a foot on the cost of materials, that is the reason they do it. We only use standard untreated rails when requested, otherwise we recommend pressure treated rails.

Another issue that differs between fence companies is the gates they use. We use black metal no sag gate kits that not only ensures the gate won’t sag but look really nice as well. For six foot tall gates we also use

Back side of gate showing gate hardware

thumb operable latches that are lockable and can be opened from either side and have a decorative look. Some companies go the cheap route and use the little latches that you have to use a string or wire to open from the other side. They are awkward to use on a tall fence and should only be used on fences that can be easily reached over. Another important factor that is often overlooked is the type of fastener used for the fence. Obviously regular “bright” un-galvanized nails or staples shouldn’t be used because they will rust and the fence will fall apart. But what most people don’t know is that galvanized fasteners also have problems when used on cedar. Cedar has acidic oils in it that react with the chemicals in galvanized fasteners and cause them to “bleed” down the face of the board. This results in unsightly black or red streaks down the face of the cedar at every place where there is a fastener. The only fastener that should ever be used in cedar is stainless steel. Stainless steel is more expensive but it lasts forever and is well worth the extra cost. It also doesn’t cause any bleeding so you don’t get ugly streaks on the boards. We exclusively use stainless steel fasteners on our fence boards.

The next factor is craftsmanship. I make sure that we take the time to do every job right by visiting every job myself.

This fence built by an unlicensed contractor sagged in the first year.

I personally train every employee and make sure the work is done right. Another startling issue I discovered when researching one of the biggest fence companies in Portland is that they pay their employees per job rather than by the hour. This is a great technique for efficiency within the company, not such a great technique when it comes to quality. Think about it, if an employee is getting paid the same amount regardless of how long it takes them to do a job, they are encouraged to rush through it. If they get paid by the hour, they have the incentive to do the job right.

The final issue I stress is customer service. I provide my personal cell number so that I can be reached at any time, I check and respond to my e-mails every day, and I am generally quick to respond no matter what the issue may be. I also hire friendly approachable people so that any customer will feel comfortable approaching anyone on the crew. That’s what I call customer service.