“Hey what was that? That thing just disappeared under that board. Hope there’s not a nest!”
Carpenter bee, Lookout! www.dupagedecks.com
By the time you have noticed a carpenter bee, it’s probably too late. That is, it’s already used that laser beam like protrusion in the front of it’s head to burrow into the frame of your wood deck; typically in a less than conspicuous area.
I began noticing these pests within the last ten years but with each passing season they seem to be more common. Resembling a common bumblebee, their lower half is solid black and they are slightly larger. Prolific in the communities near the Des Plaines River, in the Spring of 2011 they came to take up residence inside the deck at my home in Lombard. The first one was spotted vanishing underneath one of the upper stair treads of the staircase. Upon closer observation I noticed that not only had the bee(s) drilled their usual dime sized hole but had also tunnelled through approximately 8 inches of pressure treated 2 x 6 and exited there. A couple of shots with the hornet spray took care of that, quickly! Several days later, remnents (I assume) of the bee family were back and took refuge in the 2 x 4 frame of my collapsable grill table. The tell tale sign was the mound of sawdust at the base of the table. Once again, hornet spray and down they tumble.
The tell tale sign...sawdust
I believe that these carpenter bees pose a real threat to the safety of backyard decks. They bore into the wood (from what I’ve seen, the structure) weakening it. I have worked in a backyard (Westchester) where there was a seemingly never ending stream of carpenter bees that would come to replace the ones that I would swat with a badminton racket. One is designated a “lookout” which will simply hover, similar to a hummingbird, in front of the colony (in an old cedar fence) and dive bomb anything deemed a threat. They are gutsy and therefore easy to kill.
Best get them before they get a foothold in your deck! Applying an exterior stain will help in warding them off. Also, invest in a good badminton racket. A tennis racket is a bit too bulky!
The decks built ten years ago at the McKenzie Station townhomes in Lisle are falling apart and potentially dangerous. We (A-Affordable Decks in Lombard) rebuilt the one in the video in 2010. Replacing the decking, railing, stairs, and fascia with a vinyl product from AZEK. There was a minimal amount of work to the existing frame. We are running a special through the month of March. For a no obligation estimate phone us at 630-620-4130 Lisle deck repair
You’ve been hearing about maintenance free products from different people over the last several years. The planking and railings on your wood deck are “shot”. They said the treated lumber would last 30 or 40 years, as you recall. It’s only 10 maybe 12 years old but it looks horrible. Can we just have the old decking torn off and replaced with some sort of composite? Redo the railings as well, with the same material?
Trex is well known but far from perfect. It has wood flour in it’s chemistry. There lies the problem. For outdoor purposes, a pure vinyl (that is, without the wood) is a more costly material and superior in every way.
At A-Affordable Decks we are certified installers of Trex, Timbertech and AZEK. AZEK is the better of the three. For a free no obligation in-home estimate phone 630-620-4130 or fill out this brief estimate request form
Today is February 13, the sun is shining, the snow is melting and the deck hotline is ringing. We are scheduling free in-home estimates beginning Monday, Feb. 14.
To get an estimate for your new deck installation or deck “makeover” phone 630-620-4130 or fill out this brief estimate request form. We are located in Lombard but service all of DuPage and western Cook counties.
We’re off to the races here at A-Affordable Decks of DuPage County. It took till the month of April before the phone really stared to ring with any regularity. However, we’ve already completed major deck projects in: Glen Ellyn, Westchester, Berkeley, Oswego, Westmont, and we’re currently working in Naperville. Here are a few photos of recently completed deck projects.
This is the true story of a “disaster” that occurred in the winter of 2008. A furnace that went out and a broken water pipe are the villains. It was estimated that hundreds of gallons of water poured into this house. The damage from the flood and its aftermath are all documented in the following videos, as they occurred.
The homeowners of this nice townhome are out of town, at 11AM on December 25, 2008, they receive a phone call from their neighbor saying that there is water coming from out of the bottom of the garage door and that the alarm has been screeching for hours.
The homeowners immediately call a friend (me) who has a key to their house and ask me to go and check out the situation.
In video 1, I arrive and take note of the extreme amount of ice at the rear of the home. As I make my way towards the front, yet still in the street, you can hear the alarm sounding.
Upon entering the home and seeing the chaotic situation I stopped the video camera. I was standing in an inch of water and watched as a torrent of water sprayed from the kitchen ceiling and flowed from all of the ceiling in both the living and dining rooms.
It took a minute to survey the situation and to determine the source of the water then with a rush of adrenaline, I ran to locate the water shutoff valve. Was it in the garage? No! Was it in the lower level office? No! It was hidden under the staircase behind soaking wet shoes, coats, pillows and fishing rods.
The video is then restarted as I turned off the gas to the furnace and hot water heater. The outside temperature was in the teens and nearly as cold in that house. Drywall is sagging, light fixtures are filled with yellowish water, the dining room table and upholstered chairs are soaked. I made my way up to the second floor to see the damage there. As my boots squish the water, that has turned the ivory colored carpet into a Sham Wow; I am flabbergasted at the solid ice inside the bowls and tanks of both toilets. (Video 2) There is ¾ inches of water on the tile floor. I then pulled the batteries out of 4-5 very annoying alarms that had been working overtime.
The fire department arrived shortly after, along with police and a Glendale Heights building department official. They make their reports. It was then time to call the homeowners to give them the bad news. They had been holding their breath that Christmas day evening and hoping for the best. The pain about learning of the full extent of the damage was exacerbated by the knowledge that, for whatever reason, they had no homeowners insurance.
Within a day, the work of putting the house back together, is started. (Video 3) The water was vacuumed up, carpets torn out, and numerous high powered fans were drying the subfloor and lower portion of the walls.
It took several weeks of working long days but we put the house back together. (Better than before the flood) By acting quickly we were able to prevent any mold growth and salvaged the subfloors and the upper two-thirds of the walls. Virtually every plumbing fixture and supply line required replacement; so did all the ceilings in the basement and first floor. The garage door spring snapped, the garage door opener rusted and shorted out, every bit of insulation in the garage was ruined, water worked its way under the vinyl flooring in the kitchen, utility room and bathrooms destroying them, the furnace needed an overhaul, light fixtures replaced and much more.
This type of work is highly specialized and requires knowledge, speed and efficiency in water mitigation techniques, mold prevention as well as major skills in all aspects of residential building construction and remodeling. Just as important is the trust factor that comes into play. People are thrust into a vulnerable position when a home disaster strikes. Often, all of their worldly possessions are in that home. They require the peace of mind that comes from having the trust and confidence in the contractor whom is looking out for their best interests.
I have been involved, hands-on, in the residential construction business for twenty three years; as both carpenter, remodeler and as a contractor for the past seventeen years. My level of practical expertise in many aspects of construction, solid business skills, high ethics, and successful track record of high customer satisfaction make my company an ideal choice for contracting your flood damaged residence.
Statistically, nationwide, the construction industry has an unemployment rate of around 21-22% (as of June ’09). Probably not the time to go into homebuilding. However, for Frank Lamphere owner of A-Affordable Decks in Chicago’s western suburbs, sales are steady. “I’m not seeing the usual six to eight week backlog like most years, but I’ll gladly take three weeks. Especially since we’ve had so much rain this year. I’m currently running one crew and they’re very busy, even working most weekends”
Frank adds “The jobs have varied but most tend to be replacements of old weathered decks. A good percentage of people that initially contact us regarding a vinyl composite deck, after getting the price, tend to lean towards a wood deck. Unless they’re just dead set against the maintenance that comes with the wood decks.” A-Affordable Decks builds in all of DuPage and western Cook counties. Including the following communities: LaGrange, Western Springs, Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Clarendon Hills, DRaien, Woodridge, Elmhurst, Whaeton, Glen Ellyn, Villa Park, Lisle, Downers Rove, Westmont, Naperville, Winfield, West Chicago and others. see website at www.DupageDecks..com
Lombard based A-Affordable Decks of DuPage offers a four step deck cleaning service. Unlike many of their competitors, they don’t make exaggerated claims about the final cleaning result. “It won’t look brand new. That is nearly impossible, without doing severe damage to the wood!” says owner Frank. He adds “It will look much better than it did prior to cleaning. We also have a distinct advantage over most of our competitors in that being deck contractors, we offer complete repairs to decks as well. Something as easy as replacing a rail cap to completely changing a complex rail system or planking”
The four step process:
• Low pressure soaking
• Top secret detergent application and manual scrubbing
• High pressure wash/rinse
• Brush application of sealer
A side note is that a deck can be pressure washed in practically any kind of weather, however for an effective application of the sealer the deck must remain dry for at least twenty four hours after the application.
A-Affordable Decks services all of DuPage and western Cook counties including the following towns:
Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Hinsdale, Wheaton, Downers Grove, Bloomingdale, Woodridge, LaGrange, Western Springs, Oak Brook, Villa Park, Lisle, Naperville, Woodale, West Chicago, and others.
Call to schedule your deck cleaning today at 630-620-4130
