Custom Wood Decks in Colorado Springs

 

Natural and Stained Wood Decks

 

Is there any thing more attractive than the variations in color and character of natural wood? With the different grades of redwood and cedar, you have choices of durability and maintenance levels.  There are many types of stain available in the current market, and this results in our customers having a wide variety of choices in durability and appearance.  Depending on environmental circumstances, your maintenance schedule can vary from being done on an annual basis up to every 4 to 5 years.  For more information on maintenance, please reference the Deck Refinishing section (under Services).  As with all decking materials, not all wood materials are created equal.

Decks by Schmillen has done the research and has the knowledge to help you understand the differences and can assist you in making the best decision in finding functional, elegant, and cost-effective solutions for building your outdoor living space.

Types of Wood Decks

Redwood

Redwood grades fall into two major grades – Sapwood and Heartwood. Sapwood is taken from the outer areas of the tree and has some reddish-colored heartwood, but it is mainly a cream-colored wood. Heartwood comes from the tree’s center and has a warm red color that gives Redwood its name.  

The next significant factor in grading is the number and size of knots in the wood – the fewer the knots, the higher the grade. When building your Redwood deck, there are three types of Redwood to consider:

  1. Deck Common Redwood – This comes from the outer areas of the tree and will have more sapwood than heartwood so that the color will be lighter. It is an economical choice for building a Redwood deck. 
  2. B-Grade Redwood – It also has a combination of sap and heart woods, but the B-grading means it has fewer and smaller knots than Deck Common. B-grade will also have a lighter color due to the mixture of sap and heart woods. 
  3. Heart Redwood – This is the wood from the tree’s center. There is no sapwood at all, so you get the desired red color that many people are looking for with a Redwood deck. Heart Redwood is also the most durable of all the grades. Natural tannins give the wood natural resistance to insects and decay. 

Cedar

Cedar is another popular choice because it has many of the same characteristics as Redwood. In addition, Cedar wood comes from British Columbia, Canada. As with the Redwood forests, BC’s Cedar old- and new-growth forests are heavily regulated and monitored. 

Cedar is one of the most beautiful and durable woods available. Decking is usually made from the tree’s heartwood, which helps it resist moisture, rot, and insects. Fresh-cut Cedar will provide decking boards in a wide range of honey/peach shades of light brown. However, the coloring will vary depending on the type of Cedar used. For example, Western Red Cedar heartwood will have a red or pink-hued brown, and the sapwood will be nearly white. On the other hand, the heartwood of Eastern White Cedar is a light brown (sometimes with a reddish tinge), and its sapwood is white-tinged with yellow.  

Decking Cedar usually comes in two different grades:

    1. Architect Knotty – This is a sound and tight decking which limits both the size and quality of knots. It has a smooth, skip-free dressing, which makes it an excellent deck surface. 
    2. Custom Knotty – This grade produces decking boards with a hole-free knotty appearance. It may be applied as received and is an economical material for your Cedar deck. 

Click on images below to view larger…

Redwood deck that not been maintained and is no longer safe.

Before 1 – Our customers had this redwood deck on their new house that had been neglected for years and was now unsafe.

New redwood deck with wood and metal railing.

After 1 – Working with the homeowners, we built this Redwood deck with a larger footprint so they would have more outdoor living space to enjoy.  The railing is wood with black metal balusters and a wood drink cap.

Original redwood deck before we removed it.

Before 2 – The homeowners wanted to replace the deck that was originally built with their home in Meridian Ranch.

View This Project
New deck built in Heart Redwood with an open shed roof deck cover. The railing is black metal panels with a drink cap in Heart Redwood

After 2 – DBS and the homeowners designed this gorgeous, Heart Redwood deck with an open shed roof deck cover.  The railing is 4 x 4 Redwood posts with metal panels and a Heart Redwood drink cap.

View This Project
Photo taken from roof of a new redwood deck with a cedar pergola (stained in white).

1 – This new deck was done in Redwood laid at a 90-degree angle to the joists.  We used a semi-solid stain for the decking, PreseraWood Redwood. The owners chose to install a Fortress Fe26 Traditional railing with 3″ x 3″ posts and flat pyramid post caps in a matte black.  We also designed and built a Cedar pergola, stained with Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace solid-body stain.

Wood deck built in the forest with B-Grade Redwood, tri-corner pergola in Cedar

2 – This gorgeous deck in the forest is built with near-knotless B-grade Redwood at a 90-degree angle with double divider boards.  The custom designed tri-corner pergola is built using rough sawn Cedar.

View This Project
An elevated redwood deck with stucco columns and an additional outdoor living area below.

3 – A custom-built Redwood deck with 4′-wide open steps, a 180-degree turn landing, 12″ stucco columns. The owners opted to use a picket fence railing and a solid-body stain (PPG Russet).

View This Project
Redwood deck with gazebo and custom wood railing.

4 – The owners needed to have their deck rebuilt and wanted to keep the same style of deck and railing they had previously. We had to custom-build the railing to match the original one. The deck and railing are stained in a solid-body stain, PPG Russet.

Redwood deck with a metal panel railing and redwood drink cap

5 – This redwood deck features a Fortress Fe26 panel railing with redwood drink cap.  The owner used PPG Hickory solid-body stain for the deck and drink cap.  We installed a divider board to avoid butt-seams.

Redwood deck with a single picture frame border that is stained in a contrasting color. We also built a brick grill area with storage below.

6 – This custom wood deck features a herringbone design, single board picture frame and divider board in a contrasting stain color.  DBS also built a brick kitchen area and bench for additional seating.  The stairs have lights installed on the posts and stair risers for nighttime safety.

Redwood deck with the boards laid at 45-degrees, a wood and metal railing with a ringtop accent panel. We also added a stone firepit for the homeowners.

7 – This wood deck was designed with the boards at a 45-degree angle to the joists.  The railing is wood with metal balusters and a ring top accent panel for a unique look.  We also added a stone firepit and a Cedar pergola.

View This Project
Before and after photos of a redwood porch, railing, and walkway that were replaced.

8 – These homeowners had an old redwood entryway and railing that needed replacement. We discussed what they needed in a replacement and what they wanted. The owners decided to stay with Redwood as they loved the look. The railing features wood components, round metal balusters from Fortress, and a drink cap stained to match the deck. The decking has been stained with PreservaWood Tahoma Brown in semi-transparent. The railing components are done with Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal solid-body stain. We also removed the concrete pad between the front deck and the walkway, installing wood to create a more finished look.

Redwood deck with the boards laid at 90-degrees. The railing features Vienna style balusters which bow out a little

9 – The wood decking here is laid at a 90-degree angle to the joists with a single divider board to avoid butt-seams.  The wood railing features Vienna style balusters in a matte black.

Cedar deck with the boards laid at a 45-degree angle and a single, wide step that encircles the deck.

10 – This Cedar deck was built with the boards at a 45-degree angle and steps that almost encircle the open sections of the deck.  The bench was a custom add-on that DBS built for the homeowners.

Redwood deck with 90-degree boards and a single dividing board. Metal panel railing installed between wood posts.

11 – DBS built this Redwood deck, laying the boards at a 90-degree angle with a single divider board.  The railing features Redwood posts with lighted post caps and metal panel railing.

Redwood deck with fascia mounted posts for the metal panel railing.

12 – This is the same Redwood deck as shown in picture #8.  The posts for the railing are mounted on the outside of the deck along the fascia

Redwood deck with the boards laid at 45-degrees. The railing has wood components and drink cap, metal balusters, and lights mounted on each post.

13 – The homeowners had us build their new deck at a 45-degree angle with a wood component and metal baluster railing.  We also added Moab post lights from HighPoint Deck Lighting for nighttime visibility.

A B-grade Redwood deck in a herringbone pattern. The railing is not installed yet and the wood is unstained.

14 – This is a B-grade Redwood deck with herringbone pattern before the railing is installed.  The wood is still unstained at this time.

Heart Redwood deck, before it is stained, with the decking laid at 45-degrees and double picture frame board

15 – This unstained, Heart Redwood deck was laid at 45-degrees with a double picture frame border.  The railing consists of Redwood posts and drink cap with round metal balusters.  At the owners request, DBS installed a gate at the top of the stairs.

Redwood deck with a custom railing featuring wood posts and drink cap and horizontal metal balusters. We also built a matching bench for the homeowners.

16 – This custom designed wood deck features the boards laid at 90-degrees.  The railing is built with wood posts and drink cap with square, horizontal, metal rails in a matte black. We built the bench at the homeowners request.

Deck built with B-grade Redwood laid at a 90-degree angle.

17 – DBS built this B-grade Redwood deck with the boards at 90-degrees and a railing with wood posts and metal panel between the posts.

Brick house with a multi-level, Redwood deck and a wood, snow fence railing.

18 – This multi-level deck was built from  Redwood featuring a snow fence railing that is also built with Redwood.

This is a multi-level Redwood deck. Each level is laid at a 45-degree angle that is different from the previous level.

19 – This is the multi-level Redwood deck seen in the previous picture.  We laid the decking at different 45-degree angles on each level.  The Redwood snow fence railing also features a drink cap.

Redwood deck with a 45-degree design. The railing has wood posts and drink cap with square, black metal rails installed horizontally between the posts.

20 – This gorgeous Redwood deck was laid out a 45-degree angle.  The railing features Redwood posts and drink cap with square, black metal rails installed horizontally between the posts

Redwood deck with a cedar pergola stained in grey

21 – A Redwood deck built with a railing that has wood posts and drink cap with round, metal balusters in a matte black.  The deck is stained with Messmers UV Plus Natural.  We also built a Cedar pergola, stained with a solid-body stain that is a match to Gauntlet Grey.

45-degree angle Cedar deck with two custom built benches

22 – This Cedar deck features a 45-degree angle design and custom built benches for seating.

Heart Redwood deck laid at a 45-degree angle with a double picture frame border that is stained in a contrasting color. It also features a custom built wrought iron railing.

23 – This Heart Redwood deck has been stained with the double picture frame in a contrasting color from the 45-degree angle decking.  The railing is a custom design built in wrought iron.

View This Project
Heart redwood deck with a herringbone design, stucco columns, and metal panel railing.

24 – This custom built, Heart Redwood deck has the decking laid out in a herringbone pattern with single divider boards in between.  We added large, stucco columns with stone toppers and a metal panel railing with knuckle design balusters.

Multi-level Redwood deck with 45-degree angle boards. The railing is built with wood posts and metal panels between the posts.

25 – Redwood, multi-level deck with 45-degree angle boards.  The wood posts of the railing feature a lighted post cap, and between the posts we installed black matte, metal panels.

Redwood deck with custom built, snow fence railing that has horizontal wood balusters, instead of the standard vertical.

26 – This Redwood was built with a custom, snow fence railing.  It features a drink cap and horizontal wood balusters, instead of the typical vertical balusters.

Redwood deck with shed roof deck cover for shade.

27 – This custom wood deck features a railing with wood posts and drink cap, and metal baluster panels between posts.  The deck and fascia are both stained with solid body stain.  DBS also bult a shed roof style deck cover to provide shade for the homeowners.

Custom designed Redwood deck with large glass wind breaks installed on end of deck.

28 – We built this custom deck using Redwood laid at 45-degrees.  The railing is made of Redwood with a drink cap and round metal balusters.  DBS also installed a custom glass wall system to provide a wind break that will not impede the amazing view the homeowners have from their new deck.

Redwood deck with a Wild Hog railing. The grid design panels are installed between the posts.

29 – This Redwood deck features a Wild Hog railing system with wood components.  The black, metal panels feature a grid pattern that creates a unique look.

A redwood deck with the boards laid at 45-degree angle to the joists. It also has a quadruple picture frame border stained in a contrasting color.

30 – The quadruple picture frame border of this deck has been stained in a contrasting color that helps the beautiful Redwood decking standout.  The railing is made of wood posts and drink cap with black, metal panels between posts.

Old wood deck before we removed and replaced it with a larger one.

31 BEFORE – Our customer had this basic wood deck but wanted to upgrade to a larger deck and more contemporary look.

New Redwood deck with a white aluminum railing system.

31 AFTER – Working with the homeowner, we designed and built this custom Redwood deck with a wood and aluminum railing system in white.  We also added a single divider board to avoid butt-seams.

Set of open deck stairs before they are replaced along with the deck..

32 BEFORE – This is a view of the stairs before we rebuilt the deck.

3'-wide closed deck stairs with a white aluminum railing and handrail.

32 AFTER – The new stairs are 3′-wide closed steps with a white aluminum railing and handrail.

Redwood deck in herringbone pattern. This was completed in a Colorado Springs historic district.

33 – This Heart Redwood deck was built to replace an existing deck.  It is located in the historic district of Colorado Springs, so we had to work closely with the homeowners and city to ensure it met the correct requirements.

Stained redwood deck with metal deck railing and a cedar pergola.

34 – This beautiful Redwood deck was built with the boards laid at 90-degrees, with a black matte metal panel railing system.  The custom also had us build a Cedar pergola stained to match the house.

Redwood deck with herringbone design and a custom built bench

35 – This wood deck is laid out in a herringbone pattern with a contrasting picture frame.  The railing is built with wood components and black metal balusters with post cap lights at the stairs.  We also custom built the bench per the homeowners drawing.

Two wood decks at different heights but attached by a set of stairs.

36 – The homeowners had us build two decks at different heights but attached by a set of stairs.  The Redwood decking is at a 90-degree angle and the railing is built with wood components and drink cap with round metal balusters in black.