Getting Outside

      As many of you may agree, this year Spring is long overdue. Everyone I chat with is so anxious to get outside and enjoy some sunshine and good weather.

Over the past several decades I have been fortunate to have a career that allows me to work outside, but what is it that draws me outside?

     The buzz of a saw with the scent of freshly cut lumber? The snap of a nail gun? For me this  really signifies spring is here. I also love the summer heat and rain. When it's time for the season to wind down I get to enjoy the extreme cold and snow. There is a great satisfaction for me that comes from working outside.

     I think the biggest draw for me is that getting outside is where I go to relax, unwind, breathe deep, enjoy the fresh air and daydream of what can be created. The rooms within our homes all have a specific purpose. Such as, we go to the kitchen to eat, the living room to read or watch TV ...you get the idea. Outside can become anything you want, and together we can design and create a unique space that will bring your daydreams to reality and satisfy what may be missing from your indoor spaces.

     Being able to design and construct the spaces that bring so much enjoyment to people is what really brings me outside. Whether we create a unique little arbour in the garden, a pergola for some shade, a sheltered dining structure, or a deck for entertaining. Those spaces draw us outside and allow us to relax and keep dreaming. So get outside and enjoy your outdoor space.

Todd Mounsey

Owner / Designer

Your Deck Company

http://www.yourdeck.ca/

TimberTech Decking and Railing

TimberTech Decking and Railing


I am sitting here on this very cold Canadian winter day (-26c) thinking about some of the different projects I have worked on over the past 25 years. I started Your Deck Company back in 1986, long before anything other that Cedar and Pressure Treated lumber were used to build a deck. I have seen a great evolution of decking products over the years. The other day I met with a good friend of mine. We were looking at all of the new samples of decking and railing that have been coming into my shop the last few weeks. It truly is amazing the amount of choice there is today.

One of the products that I really do enjoy working with is TimberTech. I like the fit and finish of the product line as well as the comprehensive choice of materials. Below you will find a little information on almost all of the TimberTech line that is available today.  I have had the pleasure of touring the different manufacturing facilities of TimberTech in Ohio. The tours gave me a great insight into what really goes into creating products like these. It really is fascinating. As a side note I have also toured lumber mills and the difference really is dramatic.

What is TimberTech?

How To Clean a Composite Deck ...Step by Step

    



     Currently about 80% of the decks we install at Your Deck Company are "Low Maintenance" materials such as Trex and Timbertech. There are many different brands and kinds of materials on the market today, and not all of them will require the same amount of care or cleaning methods. Today I would like to get a little more specific and talk about how to clean a "Composite Deck".

     Composite decks are a composition of recycled plastics and recycled wood fibre. Usually around a 50/50 mix. This category of decking will perform much better than a wood deck and last much longer. What I mean is that when a composite deck is installed properly it will not rot or splinter, crack or twist like a wood deck will. Composite decks will however absorb a stain like a wood deck. The wood fiber that is exposed on the surface of the composite decking will capture a stain and hold it like a wood deck will. So if you spill red wine or drop a hamburger on your composite deck it will leave a stain. The same wood fibres can and will capture mould spores and create a spotted look on your deck. The benefit is that composite decks do not need to be sanded, stained or painted like a wood deck will require.