DeSoto, TX · Dallas County
Decks in DeSoto, Texas
DeSoto's subdivisions are mostly mature enough that the first generation of decks is due, and two requests come up here more than anywhere else we work: screening a cover against mosquitoes, and getting rid of the step.
01 — The area
Decks in DeSoto
DeSoto sits south of Duncanville and most of its housing dates from the 1980s through the 2000s — substantial subdivisions, conventional lots, trees that are now properly grown, and a population that in many streets has been in the same house for a long time.
Two consequences follow. The decks and covers that were built with these houses are at the age where they need a decision, which is routine assessment work. And a good number of our clients here are improving a house they intend to stay in rather than preparing one to sell, which changes what is worth building.
That second point is the more interesting one, because the thing people ask for when they are staying is rarely the thing people ask for when they are selling.
02 — DeSoto
Screening a Porch Against Mosquitoes
The most common DeSoto request that we do not hear much elsewhere is screening in an existing covered patio, and the reason is simply that a covered patio you cannot sit on at dusk is a covered patio you are not using at the best time of day.
Screening an existing cover is usually straightforward and it depends almost entirely on what the cover is. A structure with solid posts at sensible spacing and a roof with a clean edge can be screened neatly. A cover with posts in awkward positions, an open eave, or a roof edge that does not form a continuous line needs framing added first, and that is where the cost varies between quotes.
The details that decide whether it is pleasant or irritating: a screen door that closes reliably without being slammed, a kick panel at the bottom so feet and furniture do not go through the mesh, and the mesh itself chosen for what you want — a standard mesh for insects, a finer one if biting midges are the problem, a heavier one if you have a dog. The floor edge matters too, because insects come in at gaps under the frame more than through the mesh.
Two honest caveats. Screening reduces airflow noticeably, so a fan becomes close to essential rather than optional. And it makes the space dimmer and reads as more enclosed, which most people like and some do not — it is worth standing in the space and imagining it before committing, because it is not a trivial thing to reverse.
03 — DeSoto
Step-Free Decks and Building for the Next Twenty Years
A number of our clients here are thinking about a house they plan to stay in, and that makes level access a design goal rather than a medical adaptation. It is far cheaper and looks far better done as part of a deck than retrofitted later.
The simplest version is height. A deck set so its surface is flush with the interior floor — with a drainage channel at the threshold so water cannot run inside — removes the step at the back door entirely. That one decision does more for long-term usability than anything else, and at build time it costs nothing extra, because it is just where the frame sits.
From there the useful details are ordinary good design rather than specialist equipment. A generous turning space rather than a corridor. Gentle gradients instead of steps where the ground has to be met, which on a deck means a longer run and a little more framing. A rail that is comfortable to actually hold, which is a different section from a rail designed to look slim. Lighting at floor level so edges are visible at night. And a surface with real grip when wet.
None of that looks like an accessibility feature, which is the point. We have never had a client regret a deck with no step at the door, including clients who had no particular reason to want one.
Where a ramp is genuinely needed, the gradient is what determines whether it works, and gentle gradients need length. On a tight lot that may mean a switchback with a landing, and it is worth planning the space for it even if it is built later.
04 — DeSoto
Thirty-Year-Old Decks: What Fails and in What Order
On a deck of this vintage the deterioration is predictable enough that we can describe it before arriving, and knowing the order helps you judge what you are being told.
The surface goes first and most visibly: boards cup, the fasteners stand proud, and the finish stops holding. This is cosmetic and the cheapest thing to deal with. Then the stairs, because the bottom of a stringer sits closest to wet ground and end grain absorbs water fastest — a soft bottom step on an otherwise sound deck is the single most common fault we find.
Next the rail, which loosens because the posts have been flexing for decades, and which on a deck this old frequently does not meet current requirements anyway. Then the rim joist at the outer edge, where water runs off and sits.
Posts and ledger are last and are the serious two. A post set into soil fails from the inside with nothing visible outside; a ledger without flashing has been putting water into the house wall for thirty years. Those two decide repair versus rebuild, and they are the two we check before quoting anything.
The useful implication: if someone tells you a thirty-year-old deck needs replacing because the boards are cupped and the rail is loose, that is not a reason. Those are the first two things to fail on every deck of that age and they are both surface work. Ask what the ledger and the posts look like, and ask how they know.
Services
What we build in DeSoto
Every service below is available across DeSoto.
Deck Building
A deck is a structure that has to hold a group of people several feet in the air for twenty years, wearing a d…
Deck Repair
Most decks that look finished are not. If the frame and the connection to the house are sound, replacing the s…
Patio Covers
A solid cover is what turns an outdoor space from somewhere you use twice a year into part of the house. It al…
Pergolas
A pergola is the cheapest real shade there is, and the difference between one that works and one that is decor…
Pool Decks
A pool deck is wet, barefoot and in full sun, and the three requirements that follow from that — grip, a surfa…
Deck Staining
Ninety per cent of a good finish is what happens before the first coat goes on. Staining a deck that has not b…
Questions
DeSoto — asked and answered
Can you screen in the covered patio I already have?
Usually yes, and the cost depends on the existing structure — clean post spacing and a continuous roof edge screen easily, while awkward posts or an open eave need framing added first. Worth knowing in advance: screening cuts the airflow, so a fan becomes close to essential.
Can a deck be built with no step at the back door?
Yes, and at build time it costs nothing extra — it is simply where the frame sits. We put a drainage channel at the threshold so water cannot run inside. It is the single best thing you can do for long-term usability, and nobody has ever regretted it.
A contractor said my old deck needs replacing because the boards are cupped. Is that right?
Not on its own. Cupped boards and a loose rail are the first two things to fail on every thirty-year-old deck and both are surface work. What decides repair versus rebuild is the ledger at the house and the base of the posts. Ask what those look like and how they know.
Do you build ramps?
Yes, and the gradient is what makes one usable — gentle gradients need length, which on a tight lot can mean a switchback with a landing. It is worth planning the space for it when the deck is designed, even if the ramp itself comes later.
Deck builders in DeSoto
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Service area