Their new outdoor oasis, now with 100% less mowing!
This project proved to be a very interesting and fun challenge to build. When we first met these clients, they outlined their dreams for the yard. They loved to entertain their large families, and hated mowing the lawn, so they wanted as big a deck as possible. They wanted a small upper deck leading out of the house, with stairs landing on the larger lower level, a landing leading to the garage door, and a decorative pergola. And they wanted it in cedar to match their fence. Despite several challenges, we managed to deliver a create product that delivered on all fronts.
Those rocks don't dig themselves out you know
The biggest difficulty was the digging. At Northstar we strive to deliver a deck that greatly exceeds the structural minimums set out by the Alberta Building Code. This means a lot of piles, which means digging a lot of holes! Seventeen in this case, each one 48” deep. The ground in this part of Calgary proved to consist of exceptionally hard clay, which had to be removed tediously by hand. It took three days of blood, sweat, and tears (well, mostly sweat, but probably a bit of the other two!), and nearly 3800 pounds of concrete but we managed to give the deck a foundation that meets our high standards. It was hard work, but nothing makes it all worthwhile like happy clients and a beautiful finished product.
“The team at Northstar were great to deal with directly. They took the time to understand my needs and wants, and then walked me through several different designs for a rather large deck that my wife and I wanted for our backyard. The crew involved in the construction were happy to be there and respectful with the start and end times as we have a young family. Scott and his team took the time and extra effort to meet my expectations and delivered our family a perfect place to relax and enjoy the time out side. Overall very satisfied with the project budget, duration and finished product.”