Decks bear heavy loads and they are bolted right to the side of your house. These two facts alone mean that deck projects need to be handled with a great deal of care. It also means it’s well worth your time to consider whether to hire a deck contractor.
Archadeck of Fort Wayne has been building decks across northeast Indiana for years. And if you’re wondering whether it is worth hiring a deck contractor, we can tell you confidently that the answer is yes. The investment is worth every penny, and in this article, we’ll break down why we feel confident in saying so.
What a Deck Contractor Manages That You Cannot See
When you think about adding a deck to your home, you probably don’t think about the ledger board. It’s not a stylish feature but it is absolutely essential to handle properly. The ledger board connects the structure to your home’s rim joist. If that connection is flashed and fastened incorrectly, moisture can find its way in. In the years that follow, your home can see rot behind the siding and damage that costs far more than the deck itself to repair.
Below the surface, footings need to reach below the frost line. In Indiana, freeze-thaw cycles shift the ground every winter, and a footing that sits too shallow will move with the ground. When footings shift, the deck necessarily shifts as well. What was level in September, if not set on proper footings, could be sloped by March. A licensed deck contractor understands the minute details of local soil conditions and code requirements. That means they know everything they need to ensure footings are set to the proper depth.
Why the Best Deck Companies Measure Twice and Then Measure Again
Deck construction is heavy on math. The classic example here being stairs, which must be consistently spaced from top to bottom. The allowable range for stair rise and run is narrow, and small mistakes can give people the unsettling feeling that comes with expecting another stair, but none being there. But worse still, uneven stairs may fail a building inspection.
The same is true of board spacing and alignment. If the ledger board is even a little off, by the time you reach the last row of boards, the poor alignment can be visibly off kilter.
Permits and inspections are also important here. Nearly every municipality requires a permit for deck construction, and the inspection process exists to verify the railing height, baluster spacing, structural connections, and stair geometry. All need to meet code. That’s why the best deck companies handle permitting, schedule inspections, and make sure the finished structure passes. That can remove a significant amount of burden from you as a homeowner.
What Local Deck Builders Bring to the Job Site
Materials are more complex than they look from a showroom floor. Pressure-treated lumber, composite decking, and PVC each have different fastening requirements, expansion tolerances, and substructure needs. Choosing the wrong fastener or skipping the recommended gap can lead to buckling, warping, or premature failure. Experienced deck builders already know which products perform well in Indiana's climate and how to install them correctly.
Then there is the question of time and safety. Professional crews work with framing nailers, compound miter saws, post hole diggers, and concrete. A project that a crew finishes in a week or two can stretch across months of weekends for a homeowner learning as they go. Power tools and heavy materials carry real risk, and a licensed, insured deck contractor means that risk is managed professionally. Archadeck of Fort Wayne carries full licensing and insurance on every project we build.
Browse our gallery to see what that level of care looks like in finished projects across the region. If you are still early in the planning process, you can also download our complimentary design guide to start exploring what is possible.
Let's Build Something Beautiful, Together
Every Archadeck project is backed by the strongest warranty package in the industry: a completion guarantee, a workmanship warranty, a structural warranty, and the manufacturer warranties that come with every material we specify. We want choosing who builds your deck to feel like the easiest part of the process.
We have been
serving greater Fort Wayne for decades, and we would love to hear about what you have in mind for your next project. It would be our distinct pleasure to meet with you for a no-obligation complimentary design consultation. Call Craig Whitman and his team at 855-931-4746, or
click here to connect with us.
