Wood Deck Building in Elgin, IL

Wood deck building is still the most common way to add outdoor living space in Elgin, and for good reason: it costs less up front than composite, it can be built in nearly any shape, and real wood looks right on everything from a 1920s bungalow near Spring Street to a newer two-story on the west side. The trade-off is upkeep. Wood decks in northern Illinois see snow, freeze-thaw cycles and muggy summers, and moisture is what causes rot. A well-built wood deck is designed to dry out quickly and is finished on a schedule.

Pressure-treated pine

Most wood decks here use southern yellow pine treated with preservatives that resist rot and insects. It is the least expensive decking: Angi lists pressure-treated boards at about $2 to $5 per square foot for materials, and Fixr puts an installed pressure-treated deck at about $15 to $25 per square foot. Treated lumber is sold with different retention ratings; posts and any framing close to the ground or hard to replace should be rated for ground contact, not just above-ground use. Fresh treated lumber is often wet and should dry before it is stained.

Cedar

Western red cedar is lighter, more stable and naturally resistant to decay, with a warm color that treated pine does not have. Angi lists cedar boards at about $3 to $7 per square foot, and Fixr puts an installed cedar deck at about $19 to $29 per square foot. Many cedar decks use cedar for the boards, rails and trim but pressure-treated lumber for the posts, beams and joists, since that is where ground contact and hidden moisture are a concern.

Built to shed water

Rot on a wood deck usually begins at the same few spots: the ledger board against the house, the tops of joists where water sits under the boards, the base of posts and the bottoms of stair stringers. We bolt and flash the ledger, keep posts off the ground on concrete footings with standoff bases, leave gaps between boards so water drains and air moves, and seal cut ends of treated lumber as the manufacturer recommends. Fasteners and joist hangers are galvanized or stainless and rated for treated wood, because the preservatives can corrode ordinary steel.

Footings below the frost line

Whatever the decking, the footings have to be deep enough that frozen ground cannot lift them. Around Chicago the frost depth used for footings is generally 42 inches, and your permit will set the exact depth. We dig, have the holes inspected, and only then pour concrete.

Finishing a new wood deck

A new wood deck should be cleaned and finished once the wood is dry enough to absorb stain, which for wet treated lumber can mean waiting several weeks or longer. After that, Angi suggests restaining about every two to three years. We can schedule the first coat for you, or you can do it yourself.

When wood is the better choice

Wood makes sense when budget matters most, when you want a natural look that matches an older home, or when the deck is a project you plan to maintain yourself. If you would rather never restain, look at composite instead; we will price both.