Deck Builders in West Seattle

Because of load and water, which are the two mechanisms behind slope failure. A paved terrace is a continuous mass sitting on the ground above a slope, and it converts absorbing soil into a surface that sheds nearly all its rainfall — so the same storm delivers considerably more water, faster, to whatever is downhill. A deck adds far less weight, delivers what it does add through posts to footings at discrete points, and lets rain pass between the boards to the soil as it did before. On stable plateau ground the difference is academic. On the bluff it is the whole argument, and it is why we frequently recommend a deck where somebody arrived asking about a patio.

Past whatever is loose, to something that will carry the load reliably — and on this ground that depth is a finding rather than a specification. Bluff material is looser than the till behind it and frequently has a layer of surface material or old fill over something firmer, with the depth varying across a single lot. That means testing rather than assuming, and a footing schedule produced after investigation. Where the parcel carries a designation, that determination generally needs a professional assessment, and we would rather establish it before design than discover it partway through construction.

It affects the metal more than the timber. Fixings, connectors, railing components and any structural hardware are what corrode in a salt-laden environment, and a deck built with standard fixings on an exposed west-facing site will show it sooner than the same deck two streets inland. The answer is straightforward and worth specifying rather than assuming: appropriately rated stainless or coated hardware throughout, including the connectors nobody sees. Composite decking is unaffected, and cedar weathers rather than corrodes. Where a cable railing is used, the tensioning hardware is the component most worth upgrading.

Yes, and the choice of infill matters far more than anything else you decide. A railing is required above a certain height and there is no negotiating that, but what fills it is open: stainless cable, slim metal picket and glass all meet the requirement while taking far less of the outlook than a traditional picket run at seated eye level. Cable gives the most open view for the money and needs re-tensioning periodically. Glass gives the least obstruction and, within reach of salt air, needs cleaning constantly to stay worth having. Sit down at deck height before choosing — the view that matters is the one from a chair.