We’ll be honest. When we first walked this backyard, the view literally stole the show. The home sits up on a rise, and just behind it the land drops off into a sea of live oaks and cedars that roll toward the hills. Come evening, the whole sky goes pink – pure magic. It’s the kind of thing you’d want see every night if you lived there.
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The Hill Country homeowners came to us because the original backyard configuration didn’t let them enjoy it to its fullest. The had a pool and a spa, and they loved both, but the space around the water just wasn’t working. There was little to no privacy, and there wasn’t a good place to sit down and take in the view. This is where Archadeck of San Antonio came into play…
Why They Chose TimberTech Decking
If you’ve ever owned a wooden deck next to a pool, you already know how it can go. The boards get soaked, dry out, and get soaked again. Day after day when the pool is in use. Then the Texas sun cooks the deck all summer. It is a vicious cycle. And, after a few years being out by the pool with a sander on a Saturday instead of floating in the pool with a cold drink.
Nobody wants that. So Archadeck of San Antonio designed and build a custom pool deck using TimberTech low-maintenance decking. It shrugs off water, it doesn’t tend to fade in the sun, and when it gets dirty you can just hose it off. Very little maintenance is required. And for a family that wants to use their pool instead of babysitting it, that is a big deal.
As for the beautiful color, the clients chose a warm, light tone for the main field of the deck and chose a darker board around the outside and along the coping. This is referred to as “picture framing”. It looks sharp and gives the edge of the pool a nice clean line.
The Deck Privacy Wall
Here’s is something we hear all the time in San Antonio and throughout the Hill Country: “We adore our neighbors. We just don’t need them watching us swim.”
Fair Enough.
With this in mind, we designed and built a custom privacy wall from cedar with boards running horizontally. This gives the space more of a modern look than a typical privacy wall. It also blocks the view from the house next door, and it looks great doing it! The cedar against the TimberTech decking is nice pairing of warm on warm.
We continued the cedar over to the covered porch area too. There is a custom integrated wall where the customers mounted their TV. There is also a ceiling fan overhead, and the big comfy sectional underneath. When it’s a 1-2-degrees in August (and you know it will be), that shaded area is where everyone ends up. Swim, dry off, catch the Spurs game. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon for sure.
And That Glorious View …
Since the yard slots down behind the house, we had to build the deck up off the ground and push it out over the hill. That turned out to be a good think. It put the seating right at tree level with nothing in the way to obstruct those views.
For the deck railing, we used black aluminum balusters with a composite rail cap. Using a wooden or solid rail would have chopped the view and would have defeated the whole purpose of capturing those amazing Hill Country views. By using a smaller profile metal baluster, you hardly notice the rail is there. Pull up a stool at the high-top table, or stretch out on one of the loungers, and you’re looking straight out at the hills.
In the evening, the pool lights come on, the spa spills over into a waterfall, and the sky puts on a enchanted show. The area is a completely different space after dark. We were out there for photos around sunset and had a difficult time leaving because it was so mesmerizing.
Summary Of Project Details:
In case you skimmed down here (we do it too), here's what went into this one:
If you skimmed down here (we do it too), here are the components that went into this project:
- TimberTech low-maintenance decking around the pool and spa, including deck pircture framing for contrast.
- A horizontal cedar privacy wall to thwart any prying eyes
- A shaded, covered porch lounge area with a cedar TV wall.
- An elevated deck built over the sloped lot
- Black aluminum balusters that help open up the view
Want To See This Project For Yourself?
Pictures are nice, but the feature video on this project does it better. You can see how everything connects and flows, from the back door to the pool and then over to where the rail. Watch the full video on our YouTube channel here.
Also, if you are in the mood to browse more amazing deck projects we have had the pleasure of building, you can peruse our deck gallery and video page.
Got a Pool That Needs a Better Deck?
Give us a call. We build decks, covered patios, pergolas, and just about anything else you'd want out back. We work all over San Antonio, plus New Braunfels, Fair Oaks Ranch, Bulverde, and a long list of other Hill Country towns.
Wondering what working with us looks like? Here's how our process goes, start to finish. You can reach us at (210) 702 3223, or just fill out the form online and we'll get back to you.
Neal & Rebecca Neathery – Owners Archadeck of San Antonio
