Replacement Contractor magazine has ranked Archadeck eighth on its annual list of the leading U.S. companies engaged in the replacement industry. With a 2003 sales volume of almost 38 million dollars in revenue and 85 offices serving the United States and Canada, plus international presence in Japan and the UK, Archadeck is the top ranked company serving the decking industry.

Founded in 1980, Archadeck has built more than 55,000 projects in North America. The company has been in numerous national magazines and books, including Additions & Decks, Woman’s Day Home Remodeling, HOME, and Idea Wise Decks & Backyard Projects. In addition, Archadeck has been featured in a deck and porch segment on HGTV (Home & Garden TV).

Archadeck also custom designs and builds screened porches, sunrooms, gazebos, arbors, open porches and loggias, as well as other outdoor structures. The Archadeck web site may be viewed at www.archadeck.com

New EPA regulations are changing the way homeowners build decks according to John Hart, Structural Design Consultant with Archadeck.

In a move intended to keep arsenic and chromium from leaching into back yards and playgrounds, the Environmental Protection Agency banned chromated copper arsenate (CCA) as a preservative for most wood intended for residential use. According to Hart, replacement products use more copper, which makes the new lumber more expensive and more corrosive.

"It’s not as bad as it sounds," says Hart. "While the new products are more corrosive than the old ones, the corrosive level is still very low. The only time we see a problem is when people use incompatible fasteners."

While many products on the market are corrosion-resistant, many of them are not resistant enough. Because copper creates an electro-galvanic response, fasteners and flashings should be stainless steel and copper whenever possible. Fasteners should be specifically designed for use in wood treated with ACQ or Copper Azole.

"Unfortunately, fastener grades are not always marked on the product boxes," points out Hart. "That makes it difficult for the do-it-yourselfer. It’s a little easier for us, because we have been using high-grade, hot-dipped products all along."

The confusion over product compatibility is only one of the factors that brings homeowners to Archadeck. "These days, desires surpass capabilities for many homeowners," he says. "Not many people want a square box tacked to the side of their house."

Hart says that more and more customers want multiple levels and multiple features, but few of them understand local building codes, and most don’t know where the utility lines are located. The most complicated and worrisome part, he says, is attaching the ledger board to the house. "Homeowners are rightly concerned about drilling holes into their foundation. That is why so many people are hiring professionals to build new decks."

Homeowners with existing decks made from old CCA lumber need not worry about hiring a professional to replace them, however. "The old products leached arsenic and chromium at very low levels, and the EPA says they’re perfectly safe. Anyone concerned about their existing deck or swing set can coat it with an oil-based, penetrating stain every couple of years to make it safer," he explains.

Now that the weather has turned warm, it’s time to head outdoors. This year, why not create your own outdoor living room with a new deck, porch, pergola or gazebo? Add a grill to your deck and you have your own outdoor kitchen. Add a pergola and you have an instant shade structure. Add a screened porch and enjoy a bug-free outdoor environment. Add a romantic gazebo and get not only shade, but a relaxing place to read or dine. For many homeowners, creating an outdoor living room is as simple as dressing up an existing deck with a pergola. These decorative, open-roofed structures provide the perfect combination of shade, style and simplicity. Overhead wood slats or lattice panels stretched across stylish columns offer limited shade. They also give homeowners a place to grow vines for added shade, or to divide an outdoor deck into different "rooms" for different activities, like dining and relaxing.

When partial shade isn’t enough, many homeowners opt for a loggia, which is an open porch with a roof. But depending on the climate, a screened porch might provide a better solution. "In humid, buggy areas, nothing beats a screened porch," says Kiger. "You’ve got a roof overhead, screen to keep out bugs and harmful UV rays, plus you can even add a ceiling fan. I can’t think of a better place to enjoy the cool breeze of a summer evening." Of course, outdoor living doesn’t have to stop with a deck. Kiger says his company often builds free-standing pergolas in the yard that reflect the materials and details of the deck, or architecture of the home. "This has the effect of drawing people out into the yard, especially if there is a swing or candlelit table underneath."

The more romantic gazebo has a similar effect, says Kiger. "We can build a gazebo as a free-standing structure or as an addition to a deck," says Kiger and we offer features such as benches or ceiling fan." Your gazebo can even be screened in for maximum use in climates where bugs are a problem.

Continuing to set new standards of professionalism, remodeling companies from across the US were honored at the eleventh annual Chrysalis Awards for Remodeling Excellence on June 11 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. The awards, sponsored by Qualified Remodeler magazine, Stock Building Supply, Andersen Windows, DuPont Tyvek Homewrap, and Parksite Plunkett-Webster, were presented during the Southern Building Show.

Each year, one remodeler is selected by the judges as the Chrysalis Remodeler of the Year in their state. This year, Archadeck of Charlotte was named North Carolina Remodeler of the Year. This is the third time in five years that Archadeck, adeptly led by owner, Barry Klemons, has won this prestigious award.

Criteria for Remodeler of the Year are based on the company’s relationships with their customers; their contributions to professionalism in the remodeling industry; and their contributions to the community.

"The purpose of the Remodeler of the Year award is to identify companies who are examples of the best in the industry," says Ken Kanline, director of the awards, and it reflects the company’s contributions to the industry and the community." "Winning one Chrysalis Award is an achievement, but to win in consecutive years is the sign of a top notch company."

Begun in 1994, the Chrysalis Awards program recognizes the Nation’s best remodeling work in four regional competitions that encompass the entire US.

Pictures of the 2004 award-winners can be seen on the Internet at www.chrysalisawards.com beginning July 1. For more information about the Chrysalis Awards, contact Ken Kanline at 800-854-7736.

Many homeowners are dressing their decks and back yards, plus adding much needed shade with a decorative pergola. Sometimes referred to as an "arbor," pergolas can provide the perfect combination of shade, style and simplicity. These stylish, open-roofed structures can be free-standing or attached to a home. Shade is the most common reason homeowners give for building a pergola. "You’d be surprised how many people have a deck on the South side of the house that is just too hot to enjoy," explains Vicki Kiger, Marketing Director for Archadeck, whose company designs and builds outdoor structures. "But if you install a pergola, you can create a beautiful, comfortable and shady place to relax, read, dine, or even host a summer afternoon cocktail party."

Overhead wood slats or lattice panels stretched across a variety of column styles offer shade and an ever-changing play of light and shadow across nearby walls and floors. They also provide a place to grow vines or hang potted plants, which add color, increase shade and enhance light play. Good climbing plants include Wisteria, Morning Glory, Passion Flower, Carolina Jasmine and Climbing Rose. "Wisteria is one of the most popular, but it can get really heavy," points out Kiger. "You’ll need a strong pergola to hold it up."

For additional protection from the elements, tinted polycarbonate materials can be installed on top of a pergola to screen out harmful UV rays and keep the space cool underneath. Besides standing up admirably to solar beatings, this strong plastic keeps the rain off, protecting deck floors and furniture from the weather.

Even a simple overhead structure can create a sense of privacy and also convert a deck or a section of a deck to new outdoor room. Pergola designs are limited only by imagination. Wooden columns topped with crown molding lend a Victorian flavor to a pergola. Homeowners can further enhance the desired feel by choosing complementary furniture and plants.

"Many of our clients are pleased to discover that low-maintenance materials like vinyl and aluminum are also available," says Kiger. "That means less upkeep and more time spent enjoying the shade of their new outdoor structure."

Founded in 1980 in Richmond, Va., Archadeck is ranked as the top Deck & Porch Builder in the United States by Qualified Remodeler magazine (Sept. 2003), and has designed and built more than 50,000 projects across North America, including decks, screened porches, sunrooms, gazebos, pergolas, arbors, and many other outdoor structures. Archadeck offers the strongest warranty in the decking industry.