Why Decks Fail Here — and How Ours Don't
The Gulf Coast wet season is a demolition crew that works slowly. From June through September, afternoon storms soak the ground faster than it drains, and any lumber near that moisture — posts on shallow footings, joists without flashing, stair stringers resting on soil — wicks water and invites the subterranean termites that thrive in older neighborhoods like this one. Most of the failing decks we tear out in Oneco were killed by those details, not by age.
So our framing spec is non-negotiable: ground-contact-rated pressure-treated structure, concrete footings poured below grade, flashing tape on every joist and beam face, hot-dipped or stainless hardware, and a properly flashed ledger so the deck never becomes a water wick into the house wall. On top of that frame you choose the surface — composite boards that never need staining and stay cooler in light colors, or traditional pressure-treated pine for the classic look at a friendlier price, with a realistic maintenance schedule explained up front.
Porches are half our outdoor work here
Many Oneco cottages have original porches with sunken piers and springy floors. We rebuild them straight, level, and to current code — new footings, framing, decking, stairs, and railings — while keeping the scale and character that made the old porch the best room of the whole house.
Getting It Built
- Free on-site estimate with measurements, layout options, and a written price
- Permitting handled through Manatee County from drawings to final inspection
- Wind-rated connections at every post, beam, and ledger
- Full cleanup and a board-by-board walkthrough at completion
Alpine Exteriors has been building on the Gulf Coast for 25 years, with more than 2,000 completed projects behind the name, and every deck we build carries a 25-year workmanship warranty on the structure and connections. That warranty is not marketing — it is the reason our crews flash every joist even though nobody will ever see the tape. If your backyard deserves a better platform than a slab and a couple of chairs, have us out; looking is free, and so is the advice.
