What Your Deck Should Actually Feel Like — A Homeowner’s Inspection Checklist
We regularly get calls from homeowners asking what they should reasonably expect from a deck — and the answer usually...
We regularly get calls from homeowners asking what they should reasonably expect from a deck — and the answer usually...
There's surprisingly little good instruction anywhere on how to build a wood gate properly — it's not well covered in...
It's a strange thing to see — a fence post that was set solidly a few years ago is now...
"Cedar" isn't one material, and the distinction matters more than most people realize when a fence or deck is expected...
Composite decking companies tend to be quite candid about their products' flaws — you just have to read the warranty...
Anywhere a deck or porch attaches to a house, moisture has to be sealed against — and that matters even...
A note from someone who works inside a large composite decking manufacturer offered some unusually candid insight into where the...
Anyone who's sat through a deck estimate has heard the phrase "comparing apples to apples" — and most people nod...
Spike-style fence post anchors (driven directly into the ground rather than set in a proper footing) have a rough track...
Black, bleeding streaks running down a fence board are a fastener problem, not a wood problem — and the cause...
A common assumption is that more concrete around a post automatically means a stronger footing. It doesn't — a post...
Logic in deck construction is relative to climate. A typical house is framed with 2x8 joists (sometimes 2x6 gets away...
PVC (poly vinyl chloride) fencing has been on the market for decades now, and the failure pattern is consistent enough...
We prefer a well-built custom wood fence, but vinyl has a legitimate place in the fencing world, the same way...
Rot needs three things to take hold: moisture, oxygen, and the natural sugars in the timber. That combination is worst...
We've seen firsthand what happens when a builder cuts corners on fasteners. In one case where we served as an...
One of the most common requests we get is for a 20-foot-plus span incorporated into a pergola, usually because a...
People are writing and calling wanting Vinyl and Composite Pergolas. People see the beautiful photos on GardenStructure.com and for some...
Over the years, GardenStructure.com has shown up in person at home shows and local events across Ontario — a running...
Over the years, GardenStructure.com has grown through a network of independently skilled builders across Ontario and beyond, each bringing their...
We finally got a feature on Mr. Deck's Critique pages — and to a lot of builders, that might sound...
One of the more persistent misunderstandings among small business owners is trusting the search results they see on their own...
Every season brings some turnover on a builder network this size. One long-time exclusive builder left for a corporate role...
One of our most talented builders, Sal Constante, represented GardenStructure.com at the Windsor Home Show, taking sketches, photos, and design...
A good website for a deck, fence, or pergola business comes down to a short list of fundamentals that are...
Lawrence Winterburn, founder of GardenStructure.com, started building decks in Burlington, Ontario at eighteen years old — after spending the prior...
This permanent-foundation pavilion came out of a collaboration with Toronto-area landscape designer Paul Corsetti, who developed the concept and working...
This double-pass-through, roll-up-window cabana and outdoor kitchen in Markham is a good example of what we mean when we talk...
Retractable canopy pergolas have been part of our lineup for years, but they come with a maintenance conversation some clients...
This project replaced a poorly planned three-level deck in Etobicoke — narrow upper and lower platforms that left almost no...
Curved rails are one of those details a lot of builders attempt and few pull off — something that actually...
Hidden fasteners sound great on paper: no visible screw heads, a cleaner-looking deck surface. In practice, we've seen this "better...
Composite decking marketing loves showing pristine boards and promising "maintenance free" performance and a "permanent solution" to yearly staining. The...
Homeowners often ask us the difference between a privacy fence, a trellis, and a privacy screen. In practical terms —...
We recently passed by a wood trellis fence we built for a client back in 1995. Nearly thirty years later,...
Fence posts fail from the ground up, almost always in the same place: within the first six inches below the...
If you search for information on building a wood fence, you'll find no shortage of advice — and most of...
It's basically impossible to make a genuine copper-clad post cap for around $20 — and if you've bought one at...
Two resources worth knowing about if you're weighing composite vs. wood decking, or thinking about starting your own deck company:...
This deck, built by one of our design-builders near North Kawartha (close to Peterborough, Ontario), is one of the better...
Composite decking discourse tends to repeat itself every few years: new product generations launch, and the same failure modes resurface...
Part 1 as it appears in Deck Specialist, May/June 2026. Click the spread to read the full article in the...
2026 Lumber Pricing Forecast: A Tale of Two Markets TL;DR - Quick Summary US Market: Spring 2026 = buying opportunity....
Big Deck Companies vs. Artisan Deck Builders: Why Large Deck Companies May Not Be Able to Deliver What They Promise...
The 5 Most Stolen Photos That Made Us Famous For three decades, we've been designing and building garden structures that...
Deck Builders in Midhurst | Waterproof Systems & Custom Design Premium Custom Decks Built to Last 30+ Years I build...
Wasaga Beach Deck Builders that take pride in what they do. We build decks one at a time for our...
Curved Deck Design in Collingwood and the Blue Mountains Deck Builders in Collingwood and the Blue Mountains- We put deck...
What is the cost of a cabana? Like most things, cabanas have a range of costs. It's all about size...
Pergolas Ontario: This project took place about 20 years after the client cut out a newspaper article in the Toronto...