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Executive Fence & Gate Expands Commercial Fence Installation Services

BYRON CENTER, MI - September 03, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - 
Growing bid activity and an expanding project schedule are increasing the company’s commercial fencing workload.
Executive Fence & Gate is expanding its commercial fence installation services as the company receives more commercial inquiries, wins additional bids and moves a growing number of projects into active installation. The Byron Center contractor is handling phased work and projects that combine multiple fence types, gates and security features under one scope.

The increase follows the company’s January 2026 launch. To support its growing workload, the contractor maintains warehouse space for storing materials, a forklift for unloading and staging, and multiple trucks with flatbed trailers. It also receives bulk material deliveries from Stephens Pipe & Steel for larger and phased commercial projects.
Commercial fencing often affects more than a property boundary. Layout decisions can influence vehicle entrances, pedestrian access, delivery routes, equipment protection, restricted areas and the ability of a property to remain operational during installation.
“Commercial fencing has to be planned around what the property is protecting and how people, vehicles and equipment move through the site,” said Tyler Johnson, managing partner at Executive Fence & Gate. “Gate openings, grade, security requirements and daily traffic can all change the layout. Those conditions need to be addressed before crews begin setting posts.”
A recently completed project for United Rentals in Charlotte, Michigan, demonstrates the type of coordinated commercial scope the company is handling. The chain-link fence installation included barbed wire for additional perimeter security, a manual gate and a large motorized gate.
Phased or multi-component projects may require different materials, security features or points of entry across separate installation areas. Scheduling may also need to account for business hours, deliveries, other trades and continued access to the property. The company coordinates those considerations as part of the overall fence-and-gate scope.
Its commercial work includes chain-link perimeter fencing, aluminum and steel systems, privacy fencing, equipment and utility enclosures, fence replacement and custom gates. Repairs are available, although the company remains primarily focused on new installations, replacements and broader fence-and-gate projects.
The contractor has also been involved with fencing coordination at Holland High School’s varsity athletic field. The project represents one part of its institutional workload, which can require planning around active campuses, athletic schedules, construction activity and public access.
Johnson continues to estimate projects and supervise field execution. Mike Hoffman supports commercial sales and client coordination, while Mike Eaton oversees the operational details required to move awarded work into the installation schedule. All three partners remain directly involved in commercial projects through estimating, field coordination and operational oversight.
“Winning a commercial bid is only the beginning,” said Eaton, managing partner at Executive Fence & Gate. “The project still has to be scheduled around deliveries, other trades, property access and ongoing operations. As commercial activity has increased, the partners have remained directly involved in field coordination and project oversight.”
The company is bonded and insured, is a member of the American Fence Association and is a Stephens Pipe & Steel partner. From its Byron Center location, it serves commercial properties and project teams throughout Grand Rapids and West Michigan.


Executive Fence & Gate is a Byron Center, Michigan-based fence and gate contractor founded in January 2026 by partners Tyler Johnson, Mike Hoffman and Mike Eaton. The company provides residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and temporary fencing services, including perimeter fencing, security enclosures, custom gates and access-control solutions.

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For more information about Executive Fence & Gate, LLC, contact the company here:
Executive Fence & Gate
Michael Hoffman
(866) 999-4283
info@executivefenceandgate.com
1041 16th Ave SW, Byron Center, MI 49315
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Lone Wolf Exteriors Expands Siding Replacement Services Across North Texas Communities

LEWISVILLE, TX - September 03, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - 
Lone Wolf Exteriors, a locally owned exterior renovation company based in Dallas-Fort Worth, has expanded its residential siding replacement services to a growing number of North Texas communities, giving homeowners in additional areas access to energy-efficient insulated siding options.
The expansion reflects rising demand among Texas homeowners for durable, low-maintenance exterior products that can help reduce utility costs. As part of the expanded coverage, the company now serves homeowners seeking siding replacement Azle residents can rely on, along with expanded service in surrounding markets.

Central to the offering is Prodigy Next Generation Insulated Siding by Alside, which features 1-1/2-inch-thick insulation designed to deliver strong R-value performance, meaning resistance to heat flow that can help lower heating and cooling expenses. The product includes a secure interlocking panel design, high-density insulation that minimizes outdoor noise, and a lifetime limited, transferable warranty. Prodigy Insulated Siding has been named among the leading vinyl siding brands by BobVila.com.
Homeowners exploring siding replacement Burleson property owners have long requested can now access in-person consultations and financing options that include 0 percent financing and no money down for qualifying window or siding projects. The company reports that homeowners typically prioritize affordability, quality, durability, low-maintenance requirements, and aesthetics when selecting new siding, and the expanded offering was structured with those priorities in mind.
"Homeowners across North Texas have been asking for exterior products that hold up to extreme weather while keeping maintenance to a minimum," said a spokesperson for Lone Wolf Exteriors Customer Support. "Expanding coverage across additional communities allows the company to meet that demand with insulated siding that supports energy efficiency and long-term durability."
The expanded service footprint now reaches communities throughout the region, including homeowners looking for replacement sliding argyle tx options, as well as those in Fort Worth, Denton, Mansfield, Keller, Frisco, and numerous other Texas cities. The company services residential homeowners throughout Texas and commercial business owners nationwide.
In addition to siding, Lone Wolf Exteriors provides window replacement featuring Mezzo windows, which are custom-crafted in the United States and meet ENERGY STAR requirements. The company also offers door replacement and roofing replacement, including solar panel installation. Each service is supported by a consultation process intended to match products to the specific needs of the home.
The company noted that the Prodigy product line is treated with a nontoxic additive that discourages pests from nesting behind the siding and carries a Perm Rating of 5. A secondary line, Cedargrain Vinyl Panels, provides an energy-efficient and sustainable alternative for homeowners seeking faster installation.
"The goal is a straightforward process that leaves homeowners with a beautiful, lasting result," said the Lone Wolf Exteriors Customer Support spokesperson. "That means clear communication, quality materials, and workmanship that stands behind every project."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuSiRW7TQUs
Lone Wolf Exteriors is a locally owned and operated exterior renovation company based in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. The fully licensed and insured business provides window replacement, siding replacement, door replacement, and roofing replacement for residential clients across Texas and commercial clients nationwide. The company also partners with Kickstart Kids, a program that provides martial arts instruction to adolescents during the school day.

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For more information about Lone Wolf Exteriors, contact the company here:
Lone Wolf Exteriors
Customer Support
(855) 200-9653
support@lwexteriors.com
Lone Wolf Exteriors
4400 State Hwy 121 #300
Lewisville, TX 75056

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GitKraken Names Jim Shaw CEO as Software Teams Move From AI Adoption to Multi-Agent Orchestration

Shaw joins GitKraken as the company builds momentum for the next challenge in AI-powered development: helping developers direct multiple agents and helping engineering leaders understand the value AI is delivering
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Sept. 2, 2026 - PRLog -- GitKraken today announced that Jim Shaw will become Chief Executive Officer. Shaw succeeds Matt Johnston, who has led the company for the past five years through dramatic growth and scale.
Shaw joins GitKraken as the software industry moves into the next phase of AI adoption. Developers are no longer experimenting with a single AI assistant or copilot. Their work now spans across many agents, models and repositories, often in parallel. The challenge has shifted from generating code faster to managing all of that work without losing context, quality or control.
GitKraken has spent the past year expanding from the Git GUI company millions of developers know into the Code Flow company, focused on the work that happens between an idea and production.
That strategy has taken shape in the past six months in the form of two new products. GitKraken Insights is the AI-first software engineering intelligence platform built for engineering leaders to prove and improve the value AI is delivering to their teams and their business. Kepler, GitKraken's agentic development environment, gives developers one visual workspace to run and monitor multiple coding agents in parallel across repositories, regardless of which agent or model they choose.
These solutions reflect a simple belief: developers should be free to use the AI tools that work best for them, while organizations should be able to see clearly whether those tools are making software delivery better.
That point of view is also what makes Shaw a natural fit for GitKraken.
Shaw spent 15 years at Acquia in roles spanning international expansion, customers, product and technology, ultimately leading its product and technology organization. Earlier in his career, he worked on a Lean manufacturing transformation at Rover Group, later owned by BMW, where he saw product flow and quality problems play out on the production lines building Range Rover and Mini. He has carried that systems view from physical products into software.
"AI has already changed how software gets written. The question now is what we do with all that new capacity," said Shaw. "Developers need the freedom to choose which agents and models that work best for them without creating more complexity around the work. Engineering leaders need to know whether their AI investments are actually improving what gets delivered. GitKraken is in a unique position to solve both sides of that problem."
Shaw has written about the risk of mistaking more code for more value. His view is that engineering organizations need to look beyond output and understand what AI is doing to quality, reliability, predictability and the value ultimately delivered to customers.
That thinking closely matches the direction GitKraken has already taken.
"Jim understands where software development is going because he has spent his career thinking about systems, products and how work moves through them," said Fred Sturgis, Managing Director of Resurgens. "GitKraken has built an extraordinary relationship with developers with nearly 10 millions monthly active users. Jim is the right leader to build on that foundation as developers take on a new role directing multiple agents, in addition to writing code themselves."
GitKraken has now served more than 50 million developers across its portfolio of tools. As those tools evolve, one thing will not: GitKraken's commitment to the people who build software.
About GitKraken
GitKraken is the Code Flow company. As AI transforms how software is created, GitKraken helps developers, teams, and organizations manage the flow of work between ideas and production. Trusted by millions of developers worldwide, GitKraken builds tools that improve coordination between developers, AI agents, repositories, and delivery systems—helping organizations turn software velocity into meaningful outcomes.

Contact
Kate Adams
***@gitkraken.com
Photos: (Click photo to enlarge)
  

Source: GitKraken
Read Full Story - GitKraken Names Jim Shaw CEO as Software Teams Move From AI Adoption to Multi-Agent Orchestration | More news from this source
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Briskman Briskman & Greenberg Research Finds Chicago Car Accidents Fell to a Four Year Low in August While Fatal Crashes Ticked Up and Wet Road Collisions Surged

Chicago, Illinois – Chicago recorded 9,079 car accidents in August 2026, the fewest in any August since 2022 and a 7.9 percent drop from the year before, according to a new analysis of City of Chicago crash data released by Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. The decline ended three consecutive years of rising August crash totals.…

Brévant Guide Launches New National Restaurant Guide Across Canada

The independent dining guide takes a deliberately selective approach, choosing just three restaurants in each of 14 Canadian cities.
TORONTO - Sept. 2, 2026 - PRLog -- Brévant Guide, a new independent Canadian restaurant guide, has launched with a simple premise: rather than publishing sprawling rankings of dozens or hundreds of restaurants, the guide selects just three restaurants it believes represent essential dining experiences in each featured Canadian city.
Brévant Guide launches with coverage of 14 cities across Canada: Calgary, Charlottetown, Edmonton, Halifax, Moncton, Montréal, Ottawa, Québec City, Saskatoon, St. John's, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria and Winnipeg.
Each city receives only three selections.
The restaurants are not ranked first, second or third. Instead, the guide presents three establishments that distinguish themselves through a combination of culinary identity, execution, creativity, consistency and their contribution to the dining culture of their city.
The intentionally small number of selections is central to the Brévant philosophy.
Restaurant guides have increasingly become larger, with rankings that can include dozens or even hundreds of establishments. Brévant takes the opposite approach. Its objective is not to catalogue every good restaurant in a destination, but to make a difficult editorial choice about which restaurants are most worth knowing.
For travellers and local diners alike, the format is designed to answer a simple question: If you had only a few opportunities to dine in a city, where should you go?
By limiting every city to three restaurants, Brévant aims to make each selection meaningful. Inclusion itself is the distinction. There is no hierarchy among the three restaurants selected for a city.
The guide also places restaurants from Canada's largest dining destinations alongside those operating in smaller cities, reflecting the increasingly broad geographic range of ambitious and distinctive dining across the country.
The inaugural edition features 42 restaurants across 14 Canadian cities, with each restaurant receiving its own editorial profile within the guide.
Brévant Guide plans to continue expanding its coverage while periodically reviewing existing selections as restaurants open, close and evolve. The three-restaurant limit will remain at the centre of the guide's approach, meaning new additions may also require existing selections to change.
The complete inaugural guide and all 42 restaurant selections are available at https://brevantguide.com.
About Brévant Guide
Brévant Guide is an independent Canadian restaurant guide dedicated to identifying exceptional dining experiences across the country. Rather than producing exhaustive directories or large numerical rankings, Brévant selects just three restaurants in each featured city. Selections consider culinary identity, execution, creativity, consistency and relevance within the city's dining landscape.

Contact
Brévant Guide Editorial Team
***@brevantguide.com
Photos: (Click photo to enlarge)
 

Source: Brévant Guide
Read Full Story - Brévant Guide Launches New National Restaurant Guide Across Canada | More news from this source
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Double Eagle Fence Issues Guidance on Fencing New Residential Lots

MANSFIELD, TX - September 02, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - 
Double Eagle Fence has published guidance on how conditions specific to newly developed residential lots affect fence installation, citing census data showing sustained residential construction across its service area. The guidance addresses properties where no previous fence line exists and where the ground itself has recently been altered by development.
Census figures place Mansfield's 2026 population at an estimated 86,408, up from 72,782 recorded in the 2020 census, an increase of roughly 19 percent in six years. Local reporting has noted that approximately one quarter of the city's land area remains undeveloped and that 842 new home permits were issued in a single recent year. Sustained buildout at that pace means a substantial share of fencing work in the area now takes place on lots that were pasture or raw ground within the past several years.

That distinction matters more than it appears. A lot inside a new subdivision is not undisturbed ground, and the soil a post is set into has usually been graded, cut, filled and compacted before a house was framed on it.
The underlying material remains challenging regardless. The U.S. Department of Agriculture maps Houston Black clay across the Blackland Prairie region, a Vertisol with severe shrink-swell potential that expands when wet and contracts as it dries. Development changes how that soil is arranged on a site without changing what it is.
"On an established lot the ground has settled into a pattern, and the pattern is readable," said Lance Dunaway, Owner of Double Eagle Fence. "On a lot that was graded eighteen months ago, the soil is still finding equilibrium. Fill behaves differently from cut, and a fence line can run across both without anything on the surface indicating where one ends and the other begins."
Several conditions are particular to recent construction. Buried construction debris, displaced fill and abandoned material can sit below grade along a property boundary, which affects where posts can be set and how a hole is dug. Irrigation is often newly installed and shallow, and landscaping has not yet matured to the point where root systems influence soil moisture the way established trees do.
Final grade presents its own complication. Landscaping, drainage corrections and retaining work sometimes follow rather than precede a fence, which means a fence line established early can end up sitting differently once the surrounding grade is finished.
Documentation of the property line carries added weight in these settings. On an established block, existing fences and long-standing landscaping often make a boundary visually obvious, whereas a recently platted lot may have little more than survey pins to work from. Confirming those markers before any hole is dug prevents a fence from being built to the wrong line.
Neighboring construction is a further factor. On a street still being built out, adjacent lots may be under active construction while a homeowner is planning a fence, and a boundary shared with an unbuilt lot involves conditions that have not been established yet.
Dunaway noted that sequencing decisions carry weight on new construction. "The question on a new lot is not only what the fence should be, it is when it should go in," he said. "Waiting until grading and drainage are finished usually produces a straighter line that stays straight, and that is worth more than getting the fence up a few weeks earlier."
Purpose also tends to be undefined at the outset. On an established property a new fence typically replaces an older one and follows a line already drawn. On a newly developed lot, the boundary, the pool area, the pet area and the entry are being separated for the first time, and a single property can carry several fencing needs that call for different materials and heights.
Those decisions interact with material selection rather than following from it. Wood privacy fencing presents a solid surface that transfers wind load to the posts, while chain link allows air through the mesh and places less lateral demand on the same footing. Ornamental and wrought iron carry greater panel weight, and pool enclosures depend on the fence and gate holding alignment. Each behaves differently on soil that has not fully settled.
Gates add a further consideration on new construction. Driveway entries, pedestrian access points and the placement of gate operators or access controls are more easily accommodated when they are planned alongside the fence line rather than added afterward, particularly where power routing and clearance are involved.
Double Eagle Fence is a fence contractor serving Mansfield, Texas and the surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth area. The company installs wood, chain link, ornamental iron, wrought iron and brick fencing, along with privacy, security, pool, farm, pipe and tennis court fencing, and provides custom gates, gate operators, access controls, core drilling and arbors for residential and commercial properties.


 

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For more information about Double Eagle Fence, contact the company here:
Double Eagle Fence
Lance Dunaway
+16822826943
lcdunaway@gmail.com
1206 Oakmont Ct, Mansfield, TX 76063, United States

North Decks and Outdoor Living Reveals How Clay Soils Affect Deck Stability

CONCORD, NC - September 02, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - 
North Decks and Outdoor Living is drawing attention to how expansive clay soils affect deck supports, following a year of severe moisture swings across the North Carolina Piedmont.
Cabarrus County recorded its third driest year to date in 132 years of record keeping through March 2026, running more than six inches below normal precipitation. Conditions reversed in late July, when the state's wettest rain event in more than a year moved across North Carolina and improved, though did not eliminate, drought classifications. That sequence of prolonged deficit followed by heavy rainfall is the pattern that matters most for structures built on clay.

The North Carolina Geological Survey identifies the Carolina terrane, which encompasses much of the central Piedmont, as one of two regions in the state with the greatest potential for expansive shrink-swell soils. Soil series mapped across these Piedmont uplands carry the characteristic in their official descriptions from the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Enon series is rated high in shrink-swell potential with very high surface runoff and low saturated hydraulic conductivity, while the Mecklenburg series is rated moderate. Both are residuum weathered from mafic crystalline rock and both hold substantial clay content below the surface horizon.
Clay behaves differently from sandier soils as moisture changes. Extended dry weather draws water out and the soil contracts. Returning moisture causes it to swell. Ground with low hydraulic conductivity sheds water at the surface rather than absorbing it evenly, which means moisture content can vary considerably across a single property depending on drainage and grade. Two supports set thirty feet apart can sit in measurably different conditions.
For a deck, that movement acts on footings, post bases, and the connection back to the house. Effects tend to develop gradually rather than appearing at once, and the transition from a dry period into a wet one produces a second phase of movement after the first has already occurred.
"Clay is the reason two identical decks on the same street can perform completely differently," said Tyler North, Owner and Founder of North Decks and Outdoor Living. "What is under the footing matters as much as what is above it, and a year like this one applies pressure in both directions."
Footing depth is the primary defense against seasonal soil movement, and reaching undisturbed load-bearing soil rather than backfill or topsoil is what allows a support to carry weight consistently through changing conditions. Grade and drainage determine how water moves across a property and where it collects, which in turn shapes how much moisture reaches the ground around each support. Sites that slope toward a structure or hold water after rainfall present different conditions from those that shed water away, and those differences persist long after construction is complete.
Property owners assessing an existing structure after these conditions can look for specific indicators. A deck surface that no longer sits level, posts that have shifted or no longer sit plumb, separation or movement where the deck attaches to the house, and stairs that have settled at the bottom landing are all worth attention. Gaps opening in soil around post bases can indicate the ground has drawn back from the support. Doors and gates that once operated smoothly and now bind or catch can also point to movement in the structure they are mounted to.
Not every observation of this kind signals a structural problem. Materials settle, and a deck that has been in place through several seasons will show some evidence of the conditions it has passed through. Movement at the house connection is the exception, and warrants evaluation by someone trained to assess deck structures.
North holds certification from the North American Deck and Railing Association in Deck Evaluation and Inspection, along with NADRA certification in Decks Done Right. He noted that soil is one of several site conditions bearing on how a structure performs, alongside drainage, grade, and the depth at which footings reach undisturbed load-bearing soil.
Seasonal moisture is also not the only environmental factor acting on outdoor structures in the region. Piedmont summers combine sustained heat with high humidity, and winters bring periodic freeze and thaw cycles that affect both materials and the ground beneath them. Soil movement operates alongside those conditions rather than in isolation, and a structure encounters all of them across a single year.
"Most of what people notice is minor, and some of it is just a deck settling into place," North said. "The value is in knowing which is which instead of waiting to find out."
Conditions that developed over a full year of drought followed by heavy rainfall are unlikely to resolve quickly, and the ground beneath a structure continues responding to moisture long after surface conditions appear normal. Observing how a deck behaves across changing seasons provides a clearer picture of its condition than any single inspection at one moment in time.
North Decks and Outdoor Living is a family owned company serving the greater Charlotte area from Concord. The company designs and builds custom decks, screened and covered porches, patios, arbors and pergolas, and related outdoor living structures, working in wood, composite, and PVC decking. Services include deck installation, repair, maintenance, and replacement.


 

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For more information about North Decks and Outdoor Living, contact the company here:
North Decks and Outdoor Living
Tyler North
+17046909390
tyler@northdecks.com
7008 Merrymount Ct, Concord, NC 28025, United States

J&A Deck & Fence Details Drainage Effects of a Drought-to-Storm Shift

GERMANTOWN, MD - September 02, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - 
J&A Deck & Fence is drawing attention to a seasonal transition that affects how water moves around decks and fences, as forecasters point to a wetter pattern arriving on ground that has spent much of the summer dry.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, roughly 71 percent of Maryland was under active drought as of mid-July 2026, with portions of the state in severe and extreme categories. National Weather Service records place this summer among the five warmest starts in 155 years of Washington-area observations, with rainfall running below average across the period. Forecasters have since pointed to a strengthening El Nino bringing higher humidity and more frequent thunderstorm activity to the Mid-Atlantic through late summer.

The combination is what matters rather than either condition alone. Soils across Montgomery County belong to the Piedmont group and are largely clay, formed from weathered igneous and metamorphic rock. Clay hardens and cracks as it dries, and hardened clay does not absorb a sudden downpour the way the same soil would at normal moisture content. Water that would ordinarily soak in instead runs across the surface or channels directly into open cracks, reaching deeper soil than it typically would during steady seasonal rainfall.
"The first real storms after a dry spell behave differently than people expect," said Josh Arrington, Owner of J&A Deck & Fence. "The same two inches of rain that disappears into the ground in April will sit on the surface in August. Homeowners see standing water where they have never seen it before and assume something changed with the deck. Usually what changed is the ground."
That distinction matters because standing water near posts and at grade is a different condition than water shedding cleanly off a deck surface. Water pooling around the base of a post, or collecting beneath a structure where it previously drained away, keeps the surrounding soil saturated for longer stretches than it would be under a normal rainfall pattern. Soil that stays saturated behaves differently under load than soil that drains within hours.
Where a deck meets the house is the location that warrants particular attention during a wet stretch. Flashing at that connection directs water away from the structure rather than into the framing behind it, and the connection is examined during inspection for that reason. Runoff arriving in concentrated volume, rather than spread evenly across a longer rainfall, tests that detail more than steady spring rain does.
Arrington noted that the response varies considerably from property to property. Grading, downspout placement and discharge distance, tree cover, natural drainage paths across the lot, and the way the structure was originally built all determine where water travels once it reaches the ground. Two decks on the same street, built in the same year, can behave differently under identical rainfall.
"There is no general answer that applies to every yard," Arrington said. "What we look at is where the water actually goes on that specific property, and whether anything has already started moving."
The cycle also tends to repeat rather than resolve on its own. Once cracks open in dry clay and admit water at depth, the soil swells, then contracts again during the next dry stretch. That repeated shrink and swell is the mechanism behind gradual movement around footings and posts, as opposed to a single failure event. Movement of this kind usually appears cumulatively over several seasons rather than after any one storm.
Deck footings across the region are set below roughly 30 inches, the frost depth commonly applied in Maryland, so they bear on soil that stays comparatively stable through seasonal swings. Fence posts sit closer to the active surface layer, which is a substantial part of why fence lines often show visible movement before decks do.
Observations worth noting during the transition include water standing beneath a deck longer than it once did, soil washing away or channeling around posts, new drainage paths forming across a yard, sections of decking staying damp well after a storm has passed, or a fence line that has shifted noticeably since spring. None of these confirms a structural problem on its own. Each indicates that water is moving differently than it did earlier in the year, which is useful information heading into fall and the freeze and thaw cycles that follow it.
The same considerations apply to projects still in the planning stage. Site grading, footing depth, post-setting method, board spacing and the way water is directed away from a structure are decisions made before construction begins, and they largely determine how a deck or fence handles seasonal extremes across the decades that follow. Structures built without attention to drainage tend to reveal the shortfall gradually, through accumulated small movements rather than an obvious single failure.
Founded in 2020 and based in Germantown, Maryland, J&A Deck & Fence designs, builds and repairs decks, fences, patios, porches and outdoor living spaces for residential and commercial property owners across Montgomery County. Owner Josh Arrington has worked in the trade for 12 years.


 

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For more information about J&A Deck And Fence, contact the company here:
J&A Deck And Fence
Joshua Arrington
+13013888811
joshua@j-ahomeimprovement.com
13416 Country Ridge Dr, Germantown, MD 20874, United States

Deck It Outlines Footing Considerations as Dry Conditions Persist

BOLTON, MA - September 02, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - 
Deck It, a Massachusetts deck builder specializing in composite and PVC construction, has outlined how a third consecutive year of drought is affecting site assessment and footing installation on residential deck projects. The company said ground conditions encountered during excavation this season have differed from what crews typically find in the region, prompting closer review at the earliest stage of construction.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs declared Level 3 Critical Drought conditions in the Central and Northeast Regions in March 2026, citing limited groundwater recharge over the winter. According to NOAA data cited by state officials, April 2026 was the driest April statewide since 2010, with rainfall ranging from 1.5 to 3 inches against a typical 4.12 inches. U.S. Drought Monitor data showed approximately 67 percent of Massachusetts under active drought conditions in late July. State drought declarations note that the current drought began in 2024 and has produced declining groundwater across nearly all regions.

For deck construction, the effect appears during the earliest phase of a project rather than in the finished structure. Ground that has been dry for an extended period excavates differently than moist soil, and the water table encountered at footing depth may sit lower than in previous seasons. Both are conditions a crew evaluates on site rather than from a plan drawn in advance.
"When the ground has been dry this long, what we hit at footing depth is not always what the property looked like the last time we worked in that neighborhood," said Patrick Byrne, co-founder of Deck It. "We are checking conditions as we dig rather than assuming, because the same lot can behave differently in a third drought year than it did in a normal one."
Footing depth itself does not change with rainfall. Deck footings in Massachusetts are set below the depth at which soil freezes, a figure driven by winter conditions rather than by summer moisture levels. What extended dry weather affects is the excavation itself, the condition of the surrounding soil, and how the site behaves once moisture returns.
Soil survey data published by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service classifies much of eastern and central Massachusetts as glacial till and sandy loam, materials that carry low shrink-swell potential compared with the expansive clay soils found in other parts of the country. That distinction matters because construction guidance written for clay-heavy regions does not transfer directly to New England conditions. The more relevant local factors are groundwater level, the presence of fill or organic material, and how a particular parcel drains.
Properties with fill, buried organic matter, or previously disturbed ground are more likely to show movement following an extended dry period than properties sitting on undisturbed native soil. Older lots that have been graded, landscaped, or built over multiple times can present conditions that differ substantially from a neighboring property.
"Most of what determines whether a deck stays level over twenty years happens before anyone sees a board," said Jake Zbikowski, co-founder of Deck It. "The footings get buried and forgotten, and they are the one part of a deck that is close to impossible to correct once everything above them exists."
Deck It said site conditions are reviewed during the design phase, before framing begins, alongside deck layout, framing plan and permitting. The company produces a three-dimensional design during that stage, allowing a proposed layout to be reviewed against the actual property before materials are ordered. Permitting is handled by the company on the projects it builds.
Sloped properties introduce a further consideration. On ground that falls away from the house, posts vary in height across the structure and footings carry differing loads, which makes site assessment more consequential than on level ground. Multi-level designs are one response to that condition, allowing a deck to follow existing grade rather than sit on a single elevated platform.
Conditions are also expected to remain relevant into the following seasons. UMass Extension has documented that drought impacts can be delayed until the next season or longer, meaning the effects of consecutive dry years are frequently observed after the drought itself has ended. Ground that has not recharged before winter can respond differently through freeze and thaw cycles than ground entering winter at normal moisture levels.
Deck It said the current conditions do not change the fundamentals of how a deck is built, but they do reinforce the value of assessing each property individually rather than applying a standard approach across a region.
Founded in 2017 and focused exclusively on decking since 2021, Deck It designs and builds custom decks, porches and sunrooms for residential and commercial properties across Central Massachusetts and the MetroWest region, operating from a showroom in Bolton. The company is a TimberTech Platinum Pro and Trex Pro Platinum contractor and a member of the North American Deck and Railing Association. In 2025 the company was named Top Contractor of the Northeast by TimberTech, an award recognizing the volume of TimberTech products installed.


 

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For more information about Deck It, contact the company here:
Deck It - Bolton
Deck It Marketing
+19785435501
marketing@deckitnow.com
1092 Main St, Bolton, MA 01740, United States

EJS Deck and Home Solutions Introduces Drought Deck Guidance

HANSON, MA - September 02, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - 
EJS Deck and Home Solutions has introduced new guidance for homeowners on how extended dry conditions affect outdoor structures, following a drought across Massachusetts that has now persisted through parts of three consecutive years. The guidance covers what changes in a deck during prolonged dry weather, what homeowners can observe themselves, and when a structure warrants professional evaluation.
As of late July, roughly two thirds of Massachusetts was under active drought conditions according to the United States Drought Monitor, with the majority classified as moderate and a smaller portion at severe. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has issued a series of drought declarations since 2024, citing declining groundwater levels, reduced streamflow, and falling pond levels across nearly every region of the state. The Southeast Region, which includes much of the South Shore, was placed at a mild drought level in May.

Homeowners in the region generally associate deck movement with winter. Frost heave is the familiar mechanism, and the deep frost line that governs footing depth in Massachusetts reflects it. After several dry years, the more immediate concern for many properties is the opposite condition.
Wood loses moisture in sustained dry weather, and it changes dimension as it does. Boards shrink slightly across their width, which opens gaps that were tight when the deck was built. Surface checking appears as fine splits along the grain, and cupping or warping develops where one face has dried faster than the other. The same process affects framing lumber beneath the surface, and as framing members shrink, the fasteners and connectors holding them can loosen.
"The surface tells you the least," said Josh Steinman, Owner of EJS Deck and Home Solutions. "Composite and PVC do not change with moisture the way wood does, so a deck can look completely sound from above while the wood frame underneath has been moving for two summers."
Ground conditions are widely misunderstood in this market. Much of the published advice on drought and foundations describes soils with high clay content, which shrink substantially as they dry and swell again when moisture returns. Soils across the South Shore are largely coastal-plain sands and glacial till, which behave differently and are far less prone to that cycle. Movement is still possible where fill, silt, or organic material sits beneath a structure, and prolonged dry conditions can expose or undermine shallow footings, but the mechanism is not the shrink-and-swell pattern common in other parts of the country.
The guidance recommends that homeowners walk their deck and look for a small number of observable changes. Gaps between boards that have widened noticeably since the deck was installed indicate moisture loss in the decking. A railing that feels different underhand than it did the previous season suggests movement at a post connection. Stairs that have settled at one side, soft or eroded ground around a post base, or a visible gap where the deck meets the house are all worth noting.
Timing matters when assessing what is found. Wood moves with humidity throughout the season, and some apparent changes settle back after a period of normal conditions. The guidance suggests recording observations rather than acting on them immediately, and paying attention to what has not corrected itself after several weeks.
"Write it down and look again later," Steinman said. "Most of what people notice in August is seasonal. What matters is the thing that is still there in October."
When drought does break, the return of moisture introduces its own movement as soils re-wet and timber takes up water again. Structures that have been carrying loosened connections through a dry period can shift further during that transition, which is why the guidance treats the current period as a useful time for homeowners to establish a baseline.
Where framing damage proves extensive, targeted repair is often not the appropriate remedy. Deterioration at ledger connections, widespread checking through joists, or compromised post-to-footing connections generally call for rebuilding the structure rather than addressing individual components. EJS Deck and Home Solutions builds replacement structures in composite, PVC, and wood, and evaluates existing framing as part of planning any rebuild.
EJS Deck and Home Solutions is a family-owned deck and outdoor living contractor serving the South Shore of Massachusetts from offices in Hanson and Norwell. Founded in 2021 by Josh Steinman, who has worked in construction for more than two decades, the company builds custom decks along with porches, screened porches, pergolas, gazebos, patios, and outdoor kitchens. It is a member of the North American Deck and Railing Association.


 

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For more information about EJS Deck and Home Solutions, contact the company here:
EJS Deck and Home Solutions
Josh Steinman
+16173626621
josh@ejshomeimprovement.com
1000 Main St #208, Hanson, MA 02341, United States

Hemlock Decks & Porches Details Heat Effects on Composite Decking

WORCESTER, MA - September 02, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - 
Following a July that set overnight temperature records across southern New England, Hemlock Decks & Porches has issued guidance on how sustained heat affects composite and PVC deck boards and on the installation requirements that determine whether a surface accommodates that movement.
The Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University reported that Providence tied its all-time warmest low temperature on record at 80 degrees during July, in a record extending back to 1904, and that the month was the only July on record there with a low of at least 80 degrees. Boston recorded a high of 101 degrees during the same period, and heat index values reached 118 degrees in parts of the region.

Composite and PVC deck boards change dimension with temperature, and manufacturers address that behavior through required gapping at board ends and where boards meet fixed objects. Those requirements are keyed to the temperature at the time of installation rather than to any single day's conditions. Trex publishes butt joint gapping that differs above and below 40 degrees for its composite lines, and specifies a larger clearance where boards meet a solid object such as a wall or post. TimberTech publishes temperature-based butt joint tables in its installation guide for the same reason.
The practical effect is that a board installed on a cold day is already contracted and requires a wider gap to accommodate later expansion, while a board installed during heat is closer to its expanded dimension and requires less. A deck gapped against the manufacturer's table for the installation temperature is built to absorb the full seasonal range. A deck gapped without reference to that table can reach the limits of its tolerance during sustained heat.
"Gapping is not a rule of thumb, it is a table, and the number changes with the temperature on the day the boards go down," said Teddy Labonte, Owner of Hemlock Decks & Porches. "A crew that gaps everything the same way regardless of conditions is guessing, and a hot July is when that guess gets tested."
The extent of movement varies between products. PVC boards, including the TimberTech AZEK line, exhibit greater thermal expansion than wood-plastic composite products, while mineral-based composite boards such as those produced by Deckorators show comparatively little dimensional change with temperature. Board width matters as well, since wider boards move more than narrower ones over the same temperature change. Hemlock Decks & Porches installs Trex, TimberTech by AZEK and Deckorators products, and sets gapping from the installation instructions for the specific product and fastener system rather than from a general figure.
Color also influences the temperature a board reaches. Darker boards absorb more solar radiation and reach higher surface temperatures than lighter boards of the same product under identical exposure.
Fastening method is addressed directly in manufacturer guidance, and the requirement is more specific than a general preference for concealed systems. The TimberTech composite installation guide advises that in areas of high heat build or sunlight, tighter joist spacing of six to eight inches maximum be used along with additional framing, and that top-down fastening rather than concealed fastening be used in those locations. Following the guidance for the product and the exposure is what preserves warranty coverage, since manufacturer warranties are written on the assumption that the installation instructions were followed.
Framing material behaves differently from the decking above it. Wood framing responds primarily to moisture content rather than temperature, and its dimensional change along the length of a joist is comparatively small. Metal framing responds to temperature, with aluminum expanding more than steel over the same increase. The interaction between decking and substructure is therefore not uniform across framing types.
Joist spacing affects performance under heat for reasons beyond fastening. Closer spacing reduces the unsupported span between bearing points, which limits deflection in a board that has warmed, and manufacturers specify tighter spacing for diagonal installations and areas of concentrated heat.
"Most of the calls we get after a heat wave are about boards that were installed tight or fastened the wrong way for the exposure," Labonte said. "The material did what the manufacturer said it would do. The installation did not leave it anywhere to go."
Boards that have shifted out of alignment, gaps that have closed completely, or fasteners that have worked loose can be evaluated against the manufacturer's requirements for that product. Hemlock Decks & Porches provides deck repair, resurfacing and full replacement where board movement has affected alignment, fastening or the connections beneath.


 

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For more information about Hemlock Decks Porches and Home Additions, contact the company here:
Hemlock Decks Porches and Home Additions
Hemlock Contracting
+17745250509
support@deckfencemarketers.com
24 Everard St, Worcester, MA 01605, United States

Backyard Builders Announces Guidance on Decking Materials and Regional Moisture

LYMAN, SC - September 02, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - 
Decking materials respond differently to sustained moisture, and federal research places the southeastern United States in the highest hazard zone in the continental country for decay of wood exposed above ground. Backyard Builders Decks and Outdoor Living has outlined how those regional conditions factor into material selection for new deck projects.
The USDA Forest Products Laboratory publishes climate index values for estimating decay hazard to wood exposed outdoors above ground, calculated from National Climatic Data Center records for locations across the country. Values below 35 indicate little decay risk, values between 35 and 70 indicate moderate risk, and values above 70 indicate high risk. Regions that combine high rainfall with a mild climate carry the greatest hazard, a description that covers both the Southeast and the Pacific Northwest.

Those conditions apply year round rather than seasonally. Warm temperatures and frequent precipitation together create the environment in which decay develops, which means the exposure a deck faces is a function of regional climate rather than of any single wet stretch. Material selection accounts for that sustained condition.
Wood, composite and PVC decking respond to moisture in different ways. Pressure-treated wood absorbs and releases water as humidity and precipitation change through the year, and the boards expand and contract accordingly. Cedar and redwood contain natural oils that resist moisture absorption more effectively than untreated lumber, though prolonged wet exposure still affects them. Denser hardwood species including ipe, tigerwood and cumaru limit moisture penetration through grain structure, and manufacturers of those products publish maintenance schedules distinct from those written for softwoods.
Composite and PVC boards absorb less water than solid wood because of their manufactured composition, and manufacturers publish product-specific gapping and installation requirements that account for the difference. Actual performance varies by formulation, species, installation method and manufacturer specification, which is why material guidance is established per product rather than per category.
"Two decks built with the same boards can perform very differently depending on what the site does with water," said Jason White, owner of Backyard Builders Decks and Outdoor Living. "Shade, airflow underneath and which way the yard drains change the exposure, so material selection has to start with the site rather than with a sample."
Site conditions shape that exposure directly. Properties with limited airflow beneath the deck, heavy tree canopy or northern orientation retain moisture longer than open, south-facing sites. A structure built close to grade holds humidity differently than an elevated one with open space beneath it. Those differences influence board spacing, ventilation and grading alongside the choice of material itself.
Framing materials respond to moisture at different rates as well. Wood, steel, aluminum and composite framing each behave differently under sustained exposure, and framing selection is made to suit both the decking material above it and the drainage conditions of the property. Because framing is concealed once decking is installed, decisions made at that stage are not readily revisited later.
Structural fasteners and connectors sit within the same exposure. Hardware selection is specified alongside framing material rather than treated as a separate consideration, since connection points carry load and remain in contact with treated lumber over the service life of the structure.
Deck design and consultation is the stage at which those variables are assessed. A property assessment establishes how the site handles water, what the orientation and canopy conditions are, and how the intended structure will sit relative to grade. Three-dimensional models and two-dimensional plans are produced before material is ordered, so that the specification reflects site conditions rather than being adjusted during construction.
Maintenance requirements follow from the material selected. Wood decks are cleaned, sealed and stained on a recurring cycle to manage moisture absorption, and the interval depends on exposure as much as on age. Exotic hardwoods follow separate schedules from softwoods and pressure-treated lumber. Composite and PVC surfaces have their own cleaning requirements published by their manufacturers.
Periodic inspection applies across all materials. Early moisture-related wear appears on the surface before it reaches framing and connections, and identifying it at that stage keeps the work within the scope of cleaning, sealing or board replacement rather than structural repair. Existing decks that have gone several seasons without inspection are the ones where surface wear and structural wear are most easily confused.


 

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For more information about Backyard Builders Decks and Outdoor Living, contact the company here:
Backyard Builders Decks and Outdoor Living
Jason white
+18647401274
jason@backyardbuildersdeck.com
200 Newman Dr, Lyman, SC 29365, United States

Deck It Details Tree Condition Checks as Drought Enters Third Year

BURLINGTON, MA - September 02, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - 
Deck It, a Massachusetts deck builder specializing in composite and PVC construction, has outlined how tree condition is being weighed during site assessment for new deck projects as the state enters a third consecutive year of drought. The company said the trees standing over and around a proposed deck location have become a more prominent part of the conversation than in normal years.
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has reported that the current drought began in 2024 and has produced declining groundwater across nearly all regions of the state. In March 2026, the Central and Northeast Regions were declared to be in Level 3 Critical Drought following limited groundwater recharge over the winter. U.S. Drought Monitor data showed approximately 67 percent of Massachusetts under active drought conditions in late July.

The relevance to deck construction is a matter of timing rather than immediacy. According to a UMass Extension fact sheet on long-term drought effects on trees and shrubs, the visible symptoms of drought are only part of the picture, and the more consequential effects often appear well afterward. The publication describes delayed secondary effects including Armillaria root rot, an opportunistic soil fungus that invades roots weakened by stress. In large trees with extensive root systems, symptoms of decline may not appear until half the root system has been killed, which the fact sheet notes can occur several years after the original drought event.
That timeline matters for a structure with a service life measured in decades. A tree that appeared healthy when a deck was built in 2023 may be in a different condition now, and a tree that appears healthy today may be carrying stress that has not yet surfaced.
"When we walk a property, we are looking at what is over the space as much as what is under it," said Patrick Byrne, co-founder of Deck It. "A homeowner is thinking about where the sun hits and where the door comes out. Part of our job is to also look up and note what is standing there and how close it is."
Deck It said the company assesses the deck and the site, not the trees themselves, and refers questions about tree health or condition to a certified arborist. The distinction matters because evaluating whether a specific tree is sound requires training the company does not hold and does not claim.
Where tree condition does affect the company's work is in siting decisions. The position of a deck relative to mature trees influences the layout, the available footprint and how much of the yard remains usable once the structure is in place. Root systems also factor into where footings can reasonably be excavated, since digging within the root zone of a large tree presents complications that a more open portion of a property does not.
Shade is the other consideration, and it cuts both ways. Existing canopy is frequently the reason a particular corner of a yard is comfortable in July, and a design can be planned around it. But that cover is not permanent. Trees grow, are pruned, decline or are removed, and a space that depends entirely on a neighboring tree for afternoon relief is subject to changes outside the property owner's control.
"We have had homeowners tell us the spot they picked is the only shaded part of the yard," said Jake Zbikowski, co-founder of Deck It. "That is worth knowing before the design is finished, because if that shade is coming from one tree, the plan should not assume it will be there in fifteen years."
Existing decks raise a related question. Changes to the surrounding landscape accumulate quietly over time, and a deck built with a particular canopy overhead may now sit under something considerably larger, or under nothing at all. Homeowners evaluating an addition or a change in layout are reassessing the property as it stands rather than as it stood at the time of the original build.
Deck It said site conditions are reviewed during the design phase, before framing begins. The company produces a three-dimensional design during that stage, which allows a proposed layout to be reviewed against the actual property, including existing tree cover and how it falls across the space through the day.
The company added that the current conditions do not change how a deck is built, but they do reinforce the case for evaluating each property on its own terms rather than applying a standard approach across a region.
Founded in 2017 and focused exclusively on decking since 2021, Deck It designs and builds custom decks, porches and sunrooms for residential and commercial properties across Central Massachusetts and the MetroWest region, operating from a showroom in Bolton. Services include new deck construction, deck replacement, framing, railing systems, deck lighting and under-deck drainage. The company is a TimberTech Platinum Pro and Trex Pro Platinum contractor and a member of the North American Deck and Railing Association. In 2025 the company was named Top Contractor of the Northeast by TimberTech, an award recognizing volume of TimberTech products installed.


 

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For more information about Deck It , contact the company here:
Deck It - Burlington
Deck It Marketing
+19789714455
marketing@deckitnow.com
1500 District Ave, Burlington, MA 01803, United States
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WJC Decks and Remodeling Details Shade Design After Summer Heat Wave

ANDOVER, MN - September 02, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - 
WJC Decks and Remodeling has issued design guidance on shade planning for residential outdoor living spaces, following a July heat stretch that left many Minnesota decks and patios unusable through the middle of the day.
The guidance follows a mid-July period in which parts of Minnesota recorded ten consecutive days at or above 90 degrees, according to National Weather Service data, contributing to flash drought conditions across much of the state. During that stretch, outdoor spaces without overhead structures went largely unused between late morning and early evening, compressing usable hours into a narrow window at either end of the day.

The company, based in Andover, notes that whether an outdoor space remains usable in those conditions is largely settled before construction begins. Sun exposure across the property, the orientation of the house, and the way a household intends to use the space determine where shade is needed and what form it should take. Those decisions are difficult to revisit once framing is complete.
"Shade is a framing decision, not a furniture decision," said Phil Haluptzok, Owner of WJC Decks and Remodeling. "Once the posts are set, the options narrow considerably. Walking the yard at different times of day before anything is drawn tends to change where people want the structure to sit."
Pergolas remain the most common approach. Attached pergolas extend from the house over a deck or patio and draw on the existing structure for support. Freestanding versions cover open yard areas away from the home, which allows the structure to be positioned according to where shade is actually needed rather than where the house happens to sit. Classic designs filter light through spaced rafters, meaning the degree of coverage is settled at the time of construction. Fixed louvered systems, including Struxure, angle slats to block more direct sunlight while allowing air to continue moving through the structure.
Covered decks and covered porches provide fuller overhead protection from both sun and rain. That additional coverage can extend the use of a space beyond the summer months into spring and autumn, when conditions in the region become less predictable and shelter from rain matters as much as shelter from sun. Screened porches, three-season rooms, and sunrooms enclose the area further, adding protection from insects and wind alongside shade, with each option offering a different balance between enclosure and openness.
At ground level, covered patios serve a comparable function for spaces built directly on grade. Privacy screens positioned along a perimeter address a related problem, since low-angle light from the east and west arrives beneath overhead structures and is not resolved by a roof or a pergola alone. Screens placed along the sides of a deck or patio reduce that side light during the hours when the sun sits closest to the horizon.
Orientation is frequently the deciding factor in how well any of these structures perform. A structure placed to shelter a west-facing yard through the afternoon sits differently than one intended to cover a space used primarily in the morning. The same footprint can produce noticeably different results depending on where it lands relative to the house and which direction the space opens toward. Mature trees, neighbouring rooflines, and the height of the deck itself all shift the calculation further.
The company incorporates that assessment into its on-site consultation, which covers measurements, the homeowner's intended use of the space, and a realistic scope and timeline before design work begins. Design follows, with permit acquisition, foundation preparation, construction, and a final inspection completing the process. Considering shade at the consultation stage rather than after construction allows the structure to be sized and positioned alongside the deck or patio layout, instead of being fitted to a footprint that was settled without it.
Material and structure choices also interact with the surrounding site. A pergola that sits well on a level lot may need different foundation support on a sloped one, and the same shade structure can require a different approach depending on ground conditions across the property. Those factors are typically identified during the site visit rather than at the point of construction.
WJC Decks and Remodeling is a family-owned deck and outdoor living contractor founded in 2016, serving Andover and the surrounding north metro. The company designs and builds composite and PVC decks along with porches, pergolas, patios, privacy screens, and other outdoor structures, with all work handled by its own crews from consultation through final walkthrough.


 

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For more information about WJC Decks and Remodeling, contact the company here:
WJC Decks and Remodeling
Phil Haluptzok
+16129771197
wjcremodeling@gmail.com
7JF8+3G Andover, Minnesota, USA