A covered deck with a built-in privacy screen

This one started as a fence and came back a few years later as a deck. The privacy screen is where the two meet.

The deck sits under a framed roof with the woodland left open on three sides, and the fourth closed with a horizontal slat screen that carries a gate. Horizontal slat is one of the styles that balances privacy against how something looks, which is exactly what a screen at deck height has to do.

Railing as part of the structure

The railing runs horizontal to match the screen, built to code and fixed into the deck frame. Custom horizontal runs are something we fit regularly, in wood, aluminum or vinyl.

Decking that takes the weather

Pressure treated pine takes stain evenly and resists decay, and staining protects it from UV damage, water absorption and mildew. On a covered deck the exposure is uneven, so the finish schedule matters more than it does in the open.

Keeping it up

Staining every two to three years is what keeps a deck from fading, warping and cracking through humid summers and icy winters.