01. The Challenge
A view earning a deck that doesn’t fight it.
Richard’s property looked out across one of Santa Rosa’s better sight lines, but the deck in front of it was doing the view no favors. Heavy railing chopped the horizon into pieces. An exposed perimeter and an open base finished the job.
- A railing in the way: the existing balusters cut the view into vertical slats from every seat on the deck.
- No overhead cover: afternoon sun and winter rain kept the deck on a part-time schedule.
- Open base: the unfinished perimeter let pests and debris collect underneath.
- No annual upkeep: Richard wanted Redwood character without the sanding, staining, and resealing of an all-wood deck.
- Sonoma climate: materials had to withstand coastal fog, dry summers, and wet winters without losing color or shape.
02. The Process
Designed around the sight lines first.
Farrar walked the property with Richard before specifying a single component, mapping where the view was strongest, where shade was worth adding, and where the eye should travel uninterrupted.
- Site Consultation: site visit with Richard to mark the seats, angles, and approaches where the view mattered most.
- Free 3D Rendering: cable railing, Suntuf roof, and Redwood framing shown in proportion; sight lines and shade coverage confirmed before a board was ordered.
- Material Selection: Spiced Rum picked for warmth against Redwood; cable infill for near-invisible railing; Suntuf polycarbonate for coverage with daylight; 1×4 Redwood skirting for a clean perimeter finish.
- Permits Handled: all permitting and site prep managed in-house, one point of contact from start to finish.
- Build: completed on schedule, with Richard briefed at every stage.
- Final Walkthrough: every cable tension, post, and panel reviewed with Richard before sign-off.
03. The Result
A deck that steps out of its own way
Every original problem was solved, and the materials mean Richard won’t be sanding, staining, or resealing anything next spring.
- View restored: stainless cable infill reads as a horizontal whisper, the horizon stays intact from every seat on the deck.
- Weather covered: Suntuf polycarbonate panels keep the covered zone dry and lit through Sonoma’s wet winters and bright summers.
- Base sealed: 1×4 Redwood skirting closes the perimeter with a clean, slatted finish that blocks pests and debris while echoing the framing above.
- Surface that holds up: Trex Transcend Spiced Rum resists fading, staining, and splintering, backed by a 25-year fade-and-stain warranty.
- Wood where it reads: Redwood in the railing, roof framing, and skirting gives the deck its natural grain and warm color, a rich counterpoint to the composite surface.
- Sonoma-proof: every material picked for coastal fog, dry summers, and wet winters, with no annual refinishing on the calendar.
Richard steps out now to a deck that knows when to be quiet. The Spiced Rum boards run warm underfoot, the Redwood framing catches the late light, and the view runs straight through.
Your Outdoor Space Is Waiting To Be Imagined
Most decks get sold from a catalog. Yours starts with a walk through the actual yard, a 3D rendering of what it could be, and a line-by-line estimate, no signature required.