New decks, structural rebuilds, hot tub framing, stairs and railings, and bringing weathered redwood back to life. Across San Francisco, the Peninsula and Marin.
The boards are what you look at. The framing is what holds you up. Most of the decks Leafair is called out to look at have a surface problem on top of a structural one that nobody has checked — a ledger that was never flashed, posts sitting in soil, joists that have been wet every winter for fifteen years.
So the first thing that happens is a section comes up and the framing gets looked at. Sometimes the answer is that the structure is fine and the deck needs sanding, a few board replacements and a stain. Sometimes it is not, and you deserve to know that before you spend money on a finish that will sit on top of a problem.
Designed and framed for the site — hillside, over a garage, or off a rear kitchen. Footings, posts, beams and joists sized for the span and the load, not copied from the last job.
Where the framing has gone. Ledger reflashed to the building, posts set clear of the ground, and the deck rebuilt to carry what it is actually being asked to carry.
A filled tub with people in it is a serious point load. Steel or heavy redwood framing sized for the tub, with the deck boards set to meet the rim cleanly.
Sanding back weathered boards, replacing what has split or cupped, and re-staining. The right answer when the structure underneath is sound and the surface has simply had ten winters.
Stairs built to code rise and run, and railings that meet height and spacing requirements — the parts of a deck an inspector looks at first and a family leans on every day.
Bench seating framed into the deck rather than furniture placed on it. Corner benches, planter surrounds and railings that double as backrests.
This deck had been weathered down to bare grey timber and the doors onto it had dropped. The framing was rebuilt, a hot tub platform framed in, stairs and railings replaced, and the whole surface stained. The before shots are in the gallery alongside the finished ones — worth looking at together.
A section comes up so the framing can be seen. You get told what is actually there before anyone quotes a price.
Framing, boards, railings, stairs and finish each priced as their own line so you can see what you are paying for and compare it against anyone else's number.
Footings, posts, ledger and joists. Where a permit and inspection are required, the work holds until it has been signed off.
Boards, stairs, railings, built-in seating, then stain or oil. You get shown the framing before it is covered.
Leafair builds and refinishes decks across San Francisco — the Sunset, the Richmond, Noe Valley, Bernal Heights, the Castro and Pacific Heights — and down the Peninsula through Daly City and Pacifica. Deck projects in Marin, including San Rafael and Novato, are also taken on.
It depends on the framing, not the boards. Surface boards can look grey and split while the structure underneath is perfectly sound — in which case sanding, replacing what has failed and re-staining brings it back for a fraction of the cost of a rebuild. If the joists, ledger or posts have taken water, refinishing only hides the problem for a season. Leafair opens a section and looks before quoting either way.
Repairs and resurfacing usually do not. New decks, decks above a certain height, structural changes and anything that touches the building envelope generally do. Leafair handles the drawings and the permit process where one is needed, and will tell you honestly which category your job falls into before you commit to anything.
Yes. A filled hot tub with people in it is a serious point load, and the framing has to be designed for it rather than adapted afterwards. Leafair has built both steel and heavy redwood framing sized for a tub, with the surrounding deck boards set to meet the rim cleanly. There are photographs of one in the gallery above.
Redwood is the most common choice on the decks Leafair builds in San Francisco and Marin. Composite and hardwood decking are also available. The right choice depends on how exposed the deck is, how much maintenance you want to do, and what the rest of the house looks like.
A refinish on a sound structure is usually a matter of days. A full rebuild depends on the framing, the footings and whether a permit and inspection are involved. You get a schedule with the estimate rather than after the work starts.
Leafair will walk the deck, open a section, and give you a written estimate priced line by line. Estimates are free.
