Wintergreen Deck

Wintergreen Deck

Decking Materials

• Azek® PVC decking, Vintage Collection, with Cortex hidden screw and color matching plug system
  
  • Unlike Trex® composite decking, the Azek® PVC decking performs long term when applied as horizontal cladding when installed correctly, and was used for a seamless underskirt covering on the elevation changes and storage areas
• Azek® PVC trim boards
• Trex® Signature powder-coated railing
• Trex® low voltage lighting systems
• Azek® custom cocktail railing system with post cap lights trimmed in
• Premier grade #1 lumber used for framing

Construction Techniques

• Framed at 12" on center, which addresses one of the only complaints about PVC decking (potential for squeakiness due to the plastic)
• Top-in-class hardware and fasteners to ensure all connection points exceed standards for wind and durability
• Extra cross sections and bracing beyond code and inspector requirements
• Posts, beams, and bracing under the deck stained with a dark stain (a Commonwealth signature)
• Ledger and joists left unstained
• Rotten framing members and siding along the house replaced after removing the old deck
• Commonwealth staff traveled to Ohio and Pennsylvania to train hands-on at two Azek® factories and learn the top techniques directly from the team that engineered the products
• Coretex screws and plugs used, with care to align each plug with the board’s grain
• Adhesive used on all mitered edges for a clean, tight finish — a step most contractors skip
• No cutting corners on materials or installation techniques
• Quality of work is evident, and integrity extends to using hardware and fasteners designed to outperform expectations over time
• Cross bracing and supports installed beyond what building code requires, earning compliments from inspectors
• Posts, beams, and bracing under the deck are stained even though the space is largely invisible, but the ledger and joists are left unstained
  

Design Features & Areas

• Hot tub area built underneath the main deck on a 12' elevated platform
• Main deck sits over 18' in the air thanks to raised footers
• Custom storage area built to support and store the hot tub lid
• Serving area
• Deck extended to include a regulation-length cornhole area with a paneled backer wall with lights to block bags that don’t make it into the hole from going off the deck
• Two custom low-profile storage areas:
  
  • One for cornhole boards and lawn cushions, with rain protection to keep it dry
  • One custom-built to support and store the hot tub lid
    

Client Experience & Wildlife

• Client loves the deck and says it’s a fun place to host
• The property is a vacation home on a steep slope on the side of a mountain
• While the clients were away, a bear and raccoons scaled a nearby tree and damaged some deck furniture and the hot tub cover by making the deck their own vacation home
• To prevent future wildlife damage, cameras and motion lights were installed on the back of the house
• Commonwealth supports wildlife through cleanups and projects with the Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary
  

Future Projects

• Client is currently working with Commonwealth on a design to expand the kitchen area and remodel to a new kitchen system