The deck the builder put on in '94 has gray boards, a few soft spots and a rail the kids have been told not to lean on. Seventy percent of local homes are 1980s, '90s or 2000s builds, so their decks are giving out at about the same time. We build the next one on footings that stay put, with a roof over it if you'd like.
Harrison City Decks
No decade added more 15636 homes than the 1990s, and owners occupy 85% of them. In the county, searches for decking and railings jumped this past March. These are the projects people ask us to plan.
A deck from the nineties often has pressure-treated boards that have checked and splintered, joists that bounce underfoot, and a ledger fastened with nails and never flashed. The question is whether to resurface it or start fresh.
We pull a few boards and look at the ledger, joists and footings. If they're sound, new decking and rails go on the old frame. If not, it's rebuilt: ledger bolted through the band and flashed, joists sized for the decking you choose.
What's holding the old deck upWestmoreland County averages roughly 140 monthly searches for composite decking, peaking at 260 in March. If you're done sanding and staining, the real questions are what it costs over the years and how it feels barefoot in July.
We lay out samples of composite and wood side by side on your deck and talk through heat, color and upkeep. Composite gets joists spaced for its span and hidden fasteners; wood gets screws set in straight lines.
Composite and wood deckingGuernsey and Dormont soils cover much of the area, with hillside seeps and a high water table from January to April. A deck post set on a block or a shallow footing in that ground can heave and lean within a few winters.
We dig each footing below the frost line, size it for the soil we find, and keep posts off the concrete on proper bases. On a slope, the path the runoff takes decides where the posts land.
Harrison City soilsA covered deck means dinner outside when it rains and shade in August. The region's normal winter brings 44.1 inches of snow, so the roof has to carry real weight and shed it without dumping it on the steps.
Posts and a beam heavy enough for that snow carry the new roof, which we tie into the house roof so the joint stays dry, shingled to match. A gutter carries the runoff away from the stairs, and the deck framing below is checked for the new load.
Covered patiosScreened porches draw the most searches here in April and May, right before the bugs arrive. Families want a room off the kitchen where the kids can eat outside and the screen door stays shut behind them.
The room goes onto the deck or patio with its own roof, screen walls and a screen door out back, or with glass panels to make it a three-season room. The floor is framed tight at the edges so leaves and insects stay out.
Screened porches and three-season roomsAbout three in ten 15636 households have children, and a deck rail is the first thing parents test. Older decks often have balusters spaced too wide or posts held on with a couple of screws.
Once the deck floor sits higher than 30 inches, it gets guards at least 36 inches tall whose openings stop a 4-inch ball. Posts are bolted into the framing so the rail holds when someone leans on it, and stairs get a graspable handrail.
Railings and stairsHousing: Census ACS 2020–2024 for the 15636. Search volumes: Google's Keyword Planner for the county, past twelve months. Soil types: USDA. Snowfall: NOAA's Pittsburgh airport normals.
The rest of the job
How it runs, what it costs and who builds it are on our main decks & covered patios page.
Decks in Harrison City
Building a deck in Harrison City comes down to three things: Penn Township's permit desk, soil that stays wet into spring, and a building season that crowds into the warm months.
40 ftRear yard in RR and MDR zoning
Community Development issues deck permits and books the inspections. Rear yards are 40 feet in the RR and MDR districts, so we check where your deck can reach before drawing it. Overnight construction is banned in the township. Our Harrison City additions page covers zoning.
Penn Township zoningJan–AprDormont soil's high water table
In Dormont soil, the water table rises to 20 to 35 inches below grade each late winter and spring, and Guernsey slopes are known for seeps. That's why footing depth and drainage get settled before anything else. The Harrison City hub page has the soil details.
Harrison City soils20 vs 110+Deck-builder searches a month, winter vs spring
County searches for deck builders sit near 20 a month through the winter and over 100 a month from March through July. Designing and permitting over the winter puts a deck on the spring schedule instead of the August one.
How a deck job runsDeck Questions
Harrison City families bring these up while the tape measure is out in the yard. Our decks and covered patios page covers the full process.
Ask a QuestionSize, height above the yard, the boards you pick and any roof all move the number. We price it after walking the property, and the written number covers footings, framing, decking, rails and the permit.
Deck and patio price rangesYes. Community Development handles deck permits and inspections for the township. Plans, the application and our presence at the footing and framing inspections are part of the job, so you aren't the one calling to schedule them.
Penn Township zoningSometimes. If the ledger is bolted and flashed, the joists are sound and the footings haven't moved, new boards and rails can go on the old frame. If the ledger was only nailed on, that's usually when we rebuild.
What's holding the old deck upNot to the veneer. The code doesn't allow a deck ledger to hang on stone or brick veneer, because the veneer isn't built to carry it. In those spots we use a freestanding beam on its own posts beside the house instead.
DecksOn DEP's map, confirmed mining reaches the village, and standard policies exclude subsidence. Before a roof tied to the house or an enclosed room goes on, check your address on that map.
Coal under the villageOther Services
Inside and around the house, our village work runs from kitchens, baths, attics and basements to additions, windows and exterior repairs. Choose one below.
Kitchen RemodelingNew layouts, new cabinets, new counters: framed, built, and installed by the same crew.View Service
Bathroom RemodelingFull gut renovations with proper waterproofing, new framing, and tile set by hand.View Service
Attic FinishingUnused attics framed into bedrooms and offices: subfloor, insulation, drywall, and a proper stair.View Service
Basement FinishingUnfinished basements turned into real rooms: framed, insulated, drywalled, and finished by our crew.View Service
Additions & ADUsAdditions and accessory dwelling units (ADUs), framed from the ground up and tied in clean.View Service
Windows & Exterior DoorsWindows and exterior doors set, flashed, and trimmed so water stays out of the wall.View Service
Exterior Restoration & Structural RepairsRotted trim and siding, sagging joists, failed sills: opened up and repaired to solid wood.View ServiceVerified Google Reviews
5.0 out of 5 · 17 reviews
Written by the homeowners we've worked for across Westmoreland County. Every one verified on Google, every one pulled from the real feed.
Get in Touch
Tell us about the project in the form or give us a call. Either way, estimates are free and the number is the number — priced to the actual work, written down before anyone swings a hammer.
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