Custom Decks

In most instances, if you are building a new deck on your home, you will be required to have a county permit if the new deck is more than 12″ above grade. If the deck is less than 12″ above grad you are not required to have a county permit because it is considered a patio and not a deck. Always check with your local permit and inspection office as these codes change from time to time.

Generally, what you need is a copy of your property plat that clearly shows the house and its location in conjunction with the property lines. Indicate on the plat where the new deck is to be located on the property. You will also be required to fill out the application for a permit and there is a county fee involved. You will also need a drawing of the deck to scale (usually to ¼ of an inch equal to one foot) that clearly shows the dimensions of the deck, joist size and spacing, footer size and depth, railing system and staircase location if any. Your county property tax account number is helpful in expediting the permit process. Make sure you stay within any set back requirements and building limit lines when you are designing your new deck, which should be clearly marked on your property plat.

Any time you dig, Miss Utility needs to be called. Remember: safety first. If we are installing the deck for you, we are required by law to call Miss Utility. For your convenience, we have enclosed the phone number for Miss Utility at 1-800-257-7777. Remember, Miss Utility only marks public utilities, gas, electric, phone and cable TV. If you have a well, septic tank or sprinkler system, these are not located by Miss Utility, and it is up to the customer to advise us as to the approximate location of underground obstructions such as electric run to your bug zapper. We will do everything possible not to damage private utilities. Unfortunately Mid Atlantic Deck and Fence cannot be responsible for damage done to private underground obstructions.

Yes, in the state of Maryland, any contractor must have a Maryland State Home Improvement License (NOT A CONTRACTORS LICENSE) to install any type of fencing in the state. They should also carry general liability insurance and workers compensation so both you and your contractor are protected from any liability. Any licensed home improvement contractor should provide you with a certificate of general liability and workers compensation insurance upon your request and a copy of their home improvement license.

ACQ is the new pressure-treated southern yellow pine. ACQ stands for Alkaline Copper Quat which, in 2002, replaced the old CCA which stood for Chromated Copper Arsenate. It’s supposed to be better for the environment, but it sure doesn’t sound like it. (I guess we will find out). Most framing used in today’s deck construction is usually #2 grade southern yellow pine. However, for a little more money, you can upgrade the framing to a #1 grade if you so desire. #1 grade lumber gives you a little better appearance, and you may or may not see the value of the upgrade. We can honestly say 99% of our customers are okay with the #2 grade option.

Extreme caution should be used when you are using any heat source on your new deck or screen porch. When grilling or using a patio heater etc. you should allow ample distance from railings, houses or any other structure that may come in contact with the heating system. Some grills and patio heaters can reach temperatures in excess of 800 degrees and can cause severe damage to any structure. Always read the manufacturer's instructions as to how far to place the heat source you are using to an existing structure. Never leave a heat source unattended and most importantly make sure that proper maintenance is always in place with any heat source you are using. Remember grease catches on fire very easily.

Yes, grilling is one of the most common issues that cause staining on any decking or patio surface. Grease is a very hard stain to get rid of and in most cases will permanently stain any decking surface if not addressed immediately. The use of a grilling mat is recommended and can be obtained from any hardware store or purchased online. If you do drop that freshly cooked cheeseburger on your deck, make sure the grease spot is cleaned up right away; usually any kind of degreased can be used, just ask your decking product manufacturer about cleaning tips and tricks.

Extreme caution should be used when you are using any heat source on your new deck or screen porch. When grilling or using a patio heater etc. you should allow ample distance from railings, houses or any other vertical or horizontal structures that might come in contact with the heating element. Some grills and patio heaters can reach temperatures in excess of 800 degrees and can cause severe damage to any structure. Always read the manufacturer's instructions as to how far to place the heat source you are using to an existing structure. Never leave a heat source unattended and most importantly make sure that proper maintenance is always in place with any heat source you are using. Remember grease catches on fire very easily.

Typically, you would want to use 6×6 pressure treated posts.

This is a great question, and we get asked it a lot. Some counties in the state of Maryland require a back beam on all decking projects. Prince Georges County is one of them. When we go out to design and estimate a new deck project, we always recommend a back beam if we are not sure how the deck is going to be attached to the home and how the original home was framed. What this means is most older homes (say, 10 years or older) have what they call a “solid ban board” on the house, whether it be a double 2×8 or 2×10, depending on how the house was framed originally. However, in today's new housing market, most of the joists used in framing are either a TGI floor truss system or a web floor truss system, and in all cases you should have a back beam, so you can't attach the decking's ledger board to the house properly. Remember, you don’t want to be in the newspaper because your deck fell down or worse yet hurt or potentially kill yourself, friends or family. REMEMBER: SAFETY FIRST!

For pressure-treated southern yellow pine decking, we recommend a 3″ ring shank nail approved for the new pressure-treated ACQ pine. However, screws are better but take more time to install. IPE decking looks good if you use the EB-TY biscuits and wherever you have to use a screw and set the screw into the material and use an IPE plug to fill the screw hole. This method gives a nice clean look to IPE decking. We recommend doing the same with mahogany decking. On composite decking materials, most manufactures have their own attachment method which should be spelled out in their installation manual. Most are screw down, some are clip down such as correct deck which gives you the hidden fastener look. With vinyl or plastic decking, they also have their own recommended fastening methods. This can either be screwed down with color-matched screws or by using deck master or fasten master deck clips. 

All hardware—which includes all nails, screws, joist hangers, lag bolts, carriage bolts, etc.—should be ACQ approved. What this means is all galvanized hardware needs to be triple galvanized coated with zinc or stainless steel, which can get very expensive. Just read the manufacturer’s labels to make sure that the fasteners you are using meet the new ACQ requirements. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

It is normal for composite decking materials to fade (generally 15 to 20% of its original color) over time. This is part of the normal weathering process of composite decking. Staining has always been an ongoing issue with composite decking, however most manufactures have care and cleaning tips posted on their websites.

Let us give you a quick chemistry class. Pressure treated southern yellow pine is what everyone refers to as just plain pressure treated lumber. It is grown mostly in the southeastern United States and comes with a lifetime warranty against rot and termite infestation. It is pressure treated to help eliminate termite infestation. The chemicals they use to treat the lumber are Alkaline Copper Quat, hence the name ACQ. These are the new preservatives that are used since the government banned the use of CCA in 2003. CCA stands for Chromated Copper Arsenate. The new pressure treated lumber is supposed to be better for the environment and humans, but it sure doesn’t sound like it, does it? We’ll see…

Southern yellow pine is a sap wood and what causes the warping, cracking, twisting and bowing is the rate in which the moisture content in the lumber is being released from the lumber itself, and the wood fibers from within the lumber can’t keep up with the rate in which the moisture is being released. This is what causes the lumber to be dimensionally unstable. This is a natural occurrence and is a natural part of the lumber’s drying process. It does not mean you have defective material. It’s just the nature of the material we are dealing with. If you have a company or contractor that tells you that their southern yellow pine material will not warp, crack, twist or split, odds are they are not being straight with you. However, a good wood sealer applied to the product will significantly reduce the amount of the product's dimensional instability. It will not remove everything, but it will help a lot. Don't let this scare you; southern yellow pine is still one of the most widely used wood fencing/decking products on the market today, but facts are facts and every consumer should be advised properly so that they can make an informed decision about what materials to use for their outdoor work.