Deck Guides

Small surface repairs usually do not need a permit in Knox County; structural work usually does. Here is where the line sits and who to call.

Small Does Not Have to Feel Small Plenty of Knoxville homes have modest backyards, especially in neighborhoods closer to downtown and in newer subdivisions. A small yard does not mean you cannot have a great deck. It just means the design has to work harder. These are the tricks we use to make compact decks…

Do This Once a Year, Every Spring Most deck failures do not happen all at once. They start small: a rusted screw here, a soft board there, a railing that wiggles a little more than last year. A twenty-minute walkthrough each spring catches almost all of it while the fixes are still cheap. Here is…

The Short Version A covered deck has a real roof. It keeps you dry in the rain and fully shaded at noon. A pergola has an open slatted top. It gives partial shade, looks beautiful, and costs less, but rain goes right through it. Knoxville gets about 50 inches of rain a year, so that…

Why Deck Lighting Is Worth Planning Early A deck without lighting is a deck you stop using at sunset. In Knoxville, where summer evenings are the best part of the day, that is a waste of good space. Lighting also keeps people safe on steps and stairs after dark. The trick is that the best-looking…

East Tennessee Weather Is Rough on Decks Anyone who has spent a summer in Knoxville knows the drill. Blazing heat and humidity from June through September, heavy downpours that show up out of nowhere, and then winter brings freeze and thaw cycles that pry at every board and fastener. Add in the pollen season and…