Decking

About Wood Decking:    Until the turn of the century (2000) nearly all decks were built with treated pine.  It’s cheap, but as we know, it cracks, splits, warps, discolors and just plain looks ugly.  You can stain it or paint it, but within a few months the ugliness begins again.  It not only looks bad, it’s unsafe.

Read the label on treated pine lumber.  It warns you about wearing gloves when handling it, and not to burn it.  The chemical treatment will pollute the air.  Think about getting slivers in your hands or feet.  Do you really want your children and you to be exposed to that?  Some “upgrade” to cedar decking.  It’s safer, but it does all the other bad things, maybe more so.  It also costs more.  Not a very good deal!  THINK BEAUTY – THINK SAFETY!

At Spectrum Building Products we believe a beautiful home should not stop at the patio door.  Think about safety and think about a great looking deck that continues to look great year after year.  We have a great line-up of  low maintenance decking products for you to choose from.  No painting or staining required!  Just a hose and brush or lightweight power washer to refresh.  Spend that painting time relaxing on your beautiful deck with your family.  Life can be good!

About Composite Decks:  Composites led the way for those wanting less maintenance and a more attractive deck for their home.  They are the most common of the synthetic (man-made) decking products.  That may be so because many people are not aware that there are other choices.

There are good composites and some not so good.  Composites generally have some form of wood as part of the formula such as chips, cellulose or flour.  The use of these materials and how they are formed affect the performance of the decking.  Wood fades and deteriorates.  Some composites carry a very short warranty such as 10 years.  Some are easily scratched and require substantial ventilation around the deck itself.  A good composite encapsulates its wood content so it weathers better and is more scratch resistant (harder).  Quality composites carry a longer warranty.  Our recommended composites carry a 20-25 yr. warranty which is the highest in the industry.

About PVC – Virgin Vinyl Decking:  Virgin vinyl decking is the best.  The best looking, the most scratch resistant, the most moisture resistant, the most versatile, and the most expensive.  Not a lot more, but more.

There are two basic styles of vinyl decking.  One is hollow and has a top and bottom skin with vinyl reinforcing ribs holding the top and bottom skins together, or apart.  This type is very strong because the ribs form little “H beams” running parallel with the length of the board.  It’s typically tongue and grooved with hidden fastening in the tongue and groove portion.

The other form of vinyl decking is shaped like a typical composite deck board, but it weighs less.  That’s due to its cellular structure.  It’s also impervious to moisture, rot, and insects and can be in contact with the soil.

We have some gorgeous vinyl deck styles with really nice graining and some with variegated coloring.  They’re scratch resistant, stain resistant and have optional matching trim and railing.  No more painting.

Our virgin vinyl decking carries a limited lifetime warranty.

About Recycle Decking:  If you are one of those good people that “think green”, one of our decking suppliers has been in the recycle business since 1968, and manufactures great looking decking and lumber from recycled products.  Evolve is available in smooth or wood grained finishes in many, many colors.  If you want to match a specific color, we may be able to get very close to it.

Evolve decking and lumber products are available in many different sizes in square edge or tongue and grooved.  One of their special products is a 3/4 x 3 1/2 tongue and grooved material ideal for replacing old porch flooring that has reached the end of its life.  It comes in some historic deck floor colors.

Evolve is pure plastic which makes it impervious to water and insects, with very minimal fading.  In fact it can be installed with contact to soil or water such as a boat dock.  It’s not structural, but it’s tough in every other way.  It’s a recycle product and is recyclable.

Frame to Drain:  Some decking manufacturers recommend that deck framing be installed with a slope to allow water to drain off deck boards.  We believe that’s a good idea for all decking, and absolute for tongue and groove style of decking.  Tongue and grooved decking will puddle if not sloped to drain.  Spectrum Building Products has a framing procedure to drain water away from your home.  It also eliminates butt joints for most decks which makes your deck more attractive.  We will help you with your framing detail.

Material Only or Complete Project: Our goal is to provide you with the lowest price in the area for the same product.  To do that our best price will be on your list of materials picked up at our warehouse.  Other options are as follows.

1. We will provide a list of materials from your plan with an estimate of their cost.
2. We will make a job site inspection with recommendations for developing a plan.
3. Based on our job site inspection and recommendations, we will provide a plan with an estimate for material only or quote on a complete project.

There will be a small fee for each option which will be refunded with your purchase.  Our goal is to be very competitive.

Request a Quote or Call Today! (815) 580-8217

RAILING FOR DECKS, PORCHES, STOOPS, AND STEP

About Wood Railing:  Whether you use treated pine or cedar to make your railings they have the same drawback as wood decking.  You’ll have to deal with twisting, warping, splitting, slivers, and look at the warning labels on treated pine.  Scary!  Even more than wood decking, railing needs painting/staining every couple of years because that’s what your friends and neighbors see when they look at your house.  Wood railing is no fun to paint, but it’s cheap.

Aluminum Railing:  We can offer you some very interesting aluminum railing options with powder coat finishes.  Aluminum railing is superior to iron railing.  Iron will rust and aluminum will not.  That’s very important.

Virgin Vinyl – PVC Railings:  Arguably the best looking with the most style choices, the most versatile, easiest to care for, and the most economical of the low maintenance railing systems.  Rain pretty much keeps them clean and bright, or you can use a hose.  Easy!

Railings to Match Your Deck:   Most manufacturers of decking also make a railing that will match or coordinate with their decking product.  Their choice of style is limited and generally cost more.  That said, they look really nice.

Columns, Porch Posts, and Post Cladding:  Along with railing, we can provide PVC vinyl columns and porch posts, or a PVC vinyl post cladding that may be installed over new or existing porch posts.  Replace your old wood porch posts and railings and throw your paint brush away.  It will do wonders for the curb appeal of your home and will look great year after year.

Installation:  We can provide installation of our railing and porch products.

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Fencing

What About Wood Fencing?:  Wood and masonry has been used for siding, exterior trim, windows, doors, railing and — fence for centuries.  It has to be in our DNA.  How else would you explain our affair with wood decks, railing and fence.  It’s not a love affair.  What’s to love?In the latter part of the 20th century aluminum and vinyl siding, trim and windows found their way into the market.  They looked and performed better than wood and became a big hit.  Some still want wood windows as long as they’re clad with aluminum or vinyl on the outside and painted on the inside.  That makes sense.

Vinyl railing and fencing has taken a little longer, but its continued beauty and easy care is what homeowners want.  Who wants ugly?  Who wants to paint the fence?  Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn had it right.  Let’s go fishing on the river!

Video Gallery

Click Play to View Examples of Our Fencing Capabilities!

What About Vinyl Fence?: All vinyl fence is not the same.  Preassembled fence sections are limited to 6′ widths.  They’re held together with 3″ stringers that fit into brackets surface mounted on the posts.  Even with a 6′ wide fence panel the brackets fail in a strong wind.  With this type of fence, you may find the posts are not long enough to provide the stability that’s needed for taller fences..

Quality fence is assembled on the job with 2 x 6 stringers so the vertical pickets recess deep enough in the stringers to withstand strong wind gusts.  The posts are routed to allow the stringers to insert into the posts and fastened with rail locks, also to withstand strong wind gusts.  The posts are long enough to go deeper into the ground for that extra stability.  The bottom of the posts are routed to key into the backfill or cement placed in the post hole.  The bottom stringer has metal reinforcing to keep 8′ width fence from sagging.  Quality fence is stronger and looks much nicer.  It has a limited lifetime warranty.  No more painting.  We sell quality fence.  You’ll be proud of it.

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Deck Lighting

Deck Lighting provides a little romance with low voltage lighting for your deck and surrounding ground space.  Low voltage lights are brighter and last longer than solar lights.  We offer a nice selection of deck and ground lighting.

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Pergolas

Pergolas are beautiful structures that will add class and style to anyone’s yard. Spectrum Building Products can build your pergola however you would like. You will then have a blank canvas to toy with. Any variety of plants can be placed around your pergola. Those with vines will climb up and around your new pergola, adding a feel of elegance and class to your yard.

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Gazebos

One of the best ways to add some character and appeal to your backyard is with the installation of a gazebo or pergola. By building either of them you are adding a piece to your yard that will afford you many hours of enjoyment. Spectrum Building Products has the expertise needed to build both gazebos and pergolas. We can even add certain characteristics to them based upon your desires.

Gazebos are a great way to enjoy your outdoor space. They can be built with open sides to allow full views of the surrounding yard or they can be built with enclosed walls to provide some privacy. Enclosed gazebos are also great if you intend on entertaining guests for some outdoor dining. Whichever type of gazebo you choose it will be a well received addition to your home.

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Underdeck Water Protection

BEFORE

AFTER

Expand living space with Inside Out’s patented outside composite panels.  Inside Out creates a finished look to the underside of the deck.  No more visual clutter from exposed nails or under deck boards!

Inside Out’s patented panels channel the water away from the home keeping the area below the deck dry and enjoyable for outdoor living.  The specially designed panels and deep water brackets have been tested and approved to handle over 15 inches of water an hour.

Other Concerns:

Now that your deck is built you may find an issue with water getting underneath it. This often happens and can cause problems with the ground beneath it. Over time this can cause pools of water to develop close to the foundation of your home. It can also cause erosion that can cause you deck to shift. To eliminate these problems Spectrum Building Products can install a deck-ceiling to whisk water away from your home and safely into your backyard.

A deck ceiling works much like a simple drainage system. The ceiling will hang underneath your deck and collect any precipitation that may sneak beneath its cracks.

The ceiling will then move the water safely away from your deck and the foundation of your home.

Request a Quote or Call Today! (815) 580-8217