The Long Weekend
14 × 10 cedar, straight boards, wood pickets, a set of wide stairs. The deck most yards want and most budgets can carry.
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We build luxury homes.
That’s our day job.
Decks are something we do on the side because we love it.
…and it keeps us busy so we don't get fat watching TV.Evaristo, owner
Why decks, then?
Because a house takes a year and a deck takes [N] days.
We like finishing things. A custom home is eleven months of decisions. A deck is a fortnight of building, and at the end of it someone stands on it with a coffee and says “oh.”
It’s the room you actually use. Nobody hosts in the formal living room. Everybody hosts on the deck.
We bring the house-building habits with us. Water management, proper footings, a ledger that’s flashed like it matters — because on a house, it does.
House rules
Evaristo’s eight rules for a deck.
- A deck is a room without a ceiling.Furnish it like one. Decide where the table goes before we decide where the stairs go.
- Boards run the way you walk onto it.Straight in from the door, or on the diagonal if the yard is wide. Herringbone if you want people to notice.
- Water goes somewhere. Decide where.Under-deck drainage sends every drop to one downspout. Otherwise it goes into your foundation, slowly.
- If you want shade, build the shade.The umbrella is in the neighbour’s yard by August. Slats, clear roof or solid — all three are on the menu.
- Steps are where people sit.Make them wide, make them lit, and put the beer within reach.
- The railing is what you look at for twenty years.Cedar pickets, glass, cable or black aluminum. Don’t save money on the part you see from the kitchen.
- Cedar wants oil once a year. Composite wants nothing.Choose the relationship you want with your deck, not the one your neighbour has.
- Measure the barbecue first.And the hot tub, and the dog. We build for what actually goes out there.
Three we keep building
Pick one, then argue with us about it.
The Sunday Dinner
18 × 12 wrap-around in charcoal composite, diagonal boards, glass rail, built-in bench, post lighting, and drainage so the ground under it stays dry.
FROM [$ — Makez sets this] · [N] DAYS
The Don’t-Bother-Me
20 × 14 bi-level cedar in walnut, herringbone, cable rail, slatted canopy, privacy screen, lights. For people who take the deck seriously.
FROM [$ — Makez sets this] · [N] DAYS
Straight answers
The questions people ask before they hire us.
Will it be done before the long weekend?
If we say yes, yes. If we say no, we’ll tell you which weekend, and we’ll be right.
Cedar or composite?
Cedar if you like a Saturday with a brush once a year. Composite if you don’t. Both look good; only one needs you.
Do I need a permit?
[Usually, above a certain height or size — Makez answers this for its municipality]. We pull it, in our name.
Can you do the rest of the house too?
That’s the day job. Yes.
What about the mess?
Lawn protected under the work, cut station away from the house, site swept every evening. You’ll find one screw in the grass in October. Sorry in advance.
Who do I talk to?
Evaristo, [phone number]. Not a call centre.
The day job
When the deck’s done, we’re still around.
Custom homesGaragesSunroomsKitchensBathroomsDecks and patios
Talk to Evaristo
Tell us about the yard.
Or just call: [phone number]. Walkthroughs are free and take about an hour. Service area: [city and surrounding area].