Deck Builders for San Marcos Homes
A lot near the San Marcos River, the Blanco River or Purgatory Creek starts its deck with the height. In San Marcos, our deck builders rebuild an old deck or build a new composite deck, with the floodplain and the permits worked out early.
Do you rebuild old decks by the river?
Yes, we rebuild old decks near the river, and we start at the frame. Years near the water rot a deck from underneath, so we pull a few boards and check each post and joist for wood rot. Framing that's still sound stays, the soft parts come out, and the new deck goes on solid framing. Photos of the underside help us see the damage before we come out.
What should I check before building a deck on a low lot?
Start with the floodplain map. How high your lot sits decides how high the deck stands and which permits it needs. Then walk the yard after a heavy rain and note where water stands or runs toward the house. Posts set in those spots stay wet longest, so we plan the footings around them.
When the rivers come up
Most high water here comes off the San Marcos River, the Blanco River or Purgatory Creek. When one of them floods, the water can stand three or four feet deep for blocks. In 2015 it came twice in six months: the Memorial Day flood sent the Blanco and San Marcos Rivers up fast, and another flood hit town on October 30. Water like that reaches a deck's posts and joists long before the boards.
If any part of your lot sits less than two feet above the city's regulated floodplain, the building permit comes with a floodplain permit, so we check your lot's height before we settle the design. In Blanco Garden, close to both rivers, we'd raise the deck to keep the joists farther above standing water.
Saving the old deck or starting over
Is the old deck worth saving? At Comal Decks, we find out underneath, at the posts and joists. After high water, we'll inspect the deck first, and if rot runs through most of the frame, we replace the deck from the footings up. For a first deck near the water, we'd plan a composite deck around the floodplain from the start.
If your home is in a historic district
San Marcos has several historic districts, and most of them are neighborhoods of houses. If your home is in one, or is a local landmark, a deck that changes how the outside looks needs the city's historic approval, and you get it before any other permit. Ordinary repair doesn't need it. So we draw the deck early, you take it through that approval, and the start date follows.
Checking the deck after high water
After high water, walk the deck before anyone uses it. Feel near the edges for boards that sag or flex, look at the post bases for dark, crumbly wood, and push on the guard to see if it gives.
Planning a rebuild or a first deck?
Jot down four things before you call:
- how close the nearest river or creek runs
- what's there now: bare ground, an old deck or a patio
- about how big and how high you want it
- composite decking or wood, if you've picked one
Asking us for a quote is free.
Phone us or send the form with those notes, and we'll call you back about your home and how near the water it sits.