With so much happening during a deck build, it’s understandable to be concerned about your lawn getting damaged. After all, a well-kept yard takes a lot of work and is something to be proud of maintaining.
But even if your lawn is speckled with weeds or ruts, we understand how important it is to respect your property as if it was our own. We always work with this value in mind and make a concious effort to prevent any damage throughout the project.
To give you a glimpse into how we do this, we’ll share a bit about how we operate to prevent damages when you decide to build with us. Here’s what you can expect throughout the deck build, from the equipment we use to areas where we’ll be working the most.
We Use Ground Screws: No More Digging Post Holes! No More Piles of Dirt!
By incorporating steel structural posts in our construction, we provide a robust foundation that guarantees safety, durability, and minimal environmental impact. At Custom Deck Creations, we use ground screws over traditional buried wooden beams for a multitude of compelling reasons. Ground screws are superior in terms of weight-bearing capacity, offering enhanced stability and support for your deck. Unlike wooden beams, they are far less susceptible to rot and sinking, ensuring a longer lifespan and maintaining the integrity of your deck structure. Additionally, the installation of ground screws doesn’t require digging large holes, which significantly reduces the impact on your existing lawn and landscaping. This method is not only more efficient but also environmentally friendly, preserving the natural state of your outdoor space. This choice is a reflection of our commitment to innovative solutions that deliver both quality and sustainability in our decking projects.
The Equipment We Use
Machinery
Starting out, the largest piece of equipment we use is to dig holes for structural posts. We use a machine because the posts need to be at a certain depth to be considered properly installed by code. In Michigan, that’s at least 42 inches and may need to be as deep as 8 feet, depending on the deck’s design.
To accomplish this, we use a wide-tracked, stand-behind skid steer. Here are a few reasons why:
Wide Tracks
The wide tracks are key to avoiding lawn damage, as they distribute the weight evenly. Fun fact, the machine has a lower pound-per-square-foot than the human foot!
Stand-Behind
We use a stand-behind machine because it’s much smaller than one of the larger machines with sit-in cabs you’ll see many landscaping companies use. The smaller size means less weight and makes all the difference when it comes to avoiding damage.
Once again, we want to respect your property and only use equipment that’ll be a bit easier on the lawn. And we’re glad to say that we haven’t had any instances with our skid steer causing damage.
Tools
After the skid-steer, we’re primarily using wheelbarrows or carrying materials by hand. Building a deck is messy and requires many trips between the front and back of your property. So this can add up to quite a bit of foot traffic on your lawn. But fortunately, after the installation, matted-down grass will spring right back up after a short period of time.
The Areas of Most Concern
Beyond where we’ll be directly walking and working, we should discuss a couple more places that may face some wear.
Lawns
In some instances, the materials for the deck (including long lumber and decking boards) may need to be delivered and placed on your lawn. But this is usually only on projects with narrower or smaller driveways. We understand this may be less than ideal. But by law, we cannot deliver materials in the street in any SE Michigan municipality.
If this does happen on your project, be aware that you may see the grass start to yellow. It’s not dead, it’s simply gone dormant, and some rain and sunshine will spruce it back up.
Regardless of where the materials end up, we’ll coordinate with you when it comes time to deliver them. That way, there are no surprises, and no one gets stuck in the garage!
In Front of Stairs
The biggest risk for lawn damage is typically right in front of the stairs. We often work in an uneven backyard and sometimes need to slightly alter the slope. That way, we’re able to provide a safe and code-approved grass landing in front of your stairs.
If this is the case in your yard, we’ll take care of it! After we’re finished, we’ll sprinkle fresh topsoil and rake in new high-quality grass seeds.
What if There’s Damage?
To be entirely fair and honest, we did once accidentally step on plastic edging from a nearby garden bed. But we immediately paid for it and installed new edging at the homeowner’s selection.
So you can be confident that if there is any damage to your yard from materials, machines, etc., we’ll immediately repair your lawn at no extra cost. We’re never going to leave your yard in any worse condition than when we start your project. And each of our builds has a dedicated, tenured project manager to handle the project and any worries you have. If you do notice any areas of concern, please let your project manager know, and they’ll remedy the situation immediately.
If you have any other concerns that aren’t being addressed, you can always call Phil (that’s me!), the owner of Custom Deck Creations. You can reach me directly at (734) 822-6141, and I will happily sort out the situation.
Conclusion
We hope this post has eased some of your fears about your lawn getting damaged from building a deck. While you can expect your grass to have some light wear, it won’t be anything close to permanent. You can be confident that our team will treat your entire yard and home with respect and swiftly handle any concerns that come up.
Ready to Start the Build?
At Custom Deck Creations, we build composite decks for clients across Southeast Michigan. We’ll work with you to design a space that meets your vision and fits in perfectly with the rest of your yard, all while staying within your budget!
Feel free to check out our most recent builds for some inspiration, or give us a call for a free, over-the-phone estimate.
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