Outside the house
Deck and exterior repair in Suffolk County
New decks and deck repairs, roof leak repairs, and power washing for siding, decks and walkways. Long Island weather is hard on a house. We fix what it wears out.
- Fully insured
What Long Island weather does to a house
Salt air, wet springs, hot summers and freezing winters. The outside of the house takes all of it.
-
Soft deck boards and wobbly railings
Water sits on the boards and in the joints, and the wood starts to rot from the top and underneath.
We check the boards, the framing under them and the railings, and replace what's gone.
-
A leak you can't find
Water shows up on the ceiling far from where it gets in, so patching the wrong spot does nothing.
We trace the leak to the source, often flashing around a chimney, vent or skylight, and fix that.
-
Green siding and gray decks
Mildew and dirt build up on the shady side of the house and on the deck.
We power wash with the right pressure for the surface, gentle on siding and firmer on concrete.
-
Small problems left too long
A missing shingle or a loose board becomes a stained ceiling or a rotted joist.
We fix it early, and tell you straight when a repair isn't enough.
How our exterior work goes
Same way we work inside. You know the price and the start date before we begin.
-
Look it over
We walk the deck, check the roof area where the leak shows, or look at the siding and walkways you want cleaned.
-
Written price
What we found, what we'll fix, and what it costs, with a start date and how long the job will take.
-
Do the work
Repair, build or wash, with your yard, plants and windows protected as we go.
-
Clean up and walk through
Old boards, shingles and debris hauled off, and a final walk-around with you.
Outside the house
Three services that protect the outside of your home and make it look cared for.
Keeping the outside of your house in shape
We handle deck and exterior repair in Suffolk County for the same homeowners we work for inside: people in capes, high ranches, ranches and colonials who want the house to hold up and look cared for. Outside work comes in three kinds on our list: decks, roof leak repairs and power washing. They look like three separate jobs, but they’re connected. All three are about water, and about catching problems while they’re still small.
How the three services fit together
Decks
A deck is a small structure attached to your house, and it’s built like one. Posts sit on footings in the ground. Beams sit on the posts. Joists span between the beams and a ledger board, which is the board bolted to the house. The decking and railings go on top. When a deck fails, it’s usually because water got into one of those connections. The spot where the ledger meets the house is the big one. It needs flashing, a strip of metal or membrane that sheds water away from the house, or it can rot the deck and the wall behind it.
We build new decks and repair existing ones: new boards, new stairs, new railings, or new framing where the old framing has gone soft. If you’re choosing materials, see composite vs. wood decks on Long Island.
Roof leak repairs
Roof leaks are the urgent calls. Water on the ceiling, a drip in the closet, a stain that keeps growing. The tricky part is that water travels. It can get in at a chimney and show up on the ceiling ten feet away. So the job starts with finding the source. Common culprits are flashing around chimneys, vents and skylights, missing or cracked shingles, and the valleys where two roof slopes meet.
We do repairs, not full roof replacements. If your roof is at the end of its life, we’ll tell you straight. Our answer on when to repair a roof leak vs. replace the roof explains how to tell.
Power washing
Power washing takes off the mildew, algae and dirt that build up on siding, decks, fences, patios and walkways. It makes a house look cared for, and it’s often the first step before other work, since you can’t judge a gray deck until it’s clean. The key is pressure. Concrete can take a lot. Vinyl siding and soft wood can’t. See can power washing damage vinyl siding and how often you should power wash your house and deck.
The order to do outside work in
If you’ve got more than one thing on your list, the order matters.
- Stop leaks first. A roof leak gets worse every time it rains. Fix it before you repair the ceiling inside, and before anything else.
- Wash before you judge. Power washing a deck shows you which boards are sound and which are soft. Then you know what needs repair.
- Repair before you finish. Replace bad boards and railings before any stain or sealer goes on, so the finish covers the whole deck evenly.
- Fix the inside last. Once the water is stopped, the stained ceiling or damaged wall can be patched and painted for good.
Since our crew does inside work too, a roof leak repair can come with the ceiling patch and paint in one written price.
Planning a deck
A new deck is the biggest of the three jobs, and it needs the most planning.
- How will you use it? A grill and two chairs is a different deck than a table for eight. Size it for what you’ll do out there.
- Where does the sun hit? A south-facing deck gets hot in summer. That can change your material choice and where you put it.
- How high is it? A deck off a high ranch’s upper level needs taller posts, longer stairs and railings. A ground-level deck off a ranch is simpler.
- Wood or composite? Wood costs less up front and needs regular care. Composite costs more and needs less upkeep. Both need solid framing underneath.
- Permits. New decks almost always need a permit, and the rules for railings, stairs and footings depend on your town. Check with your town’s building department before you build. We cover this in do I need a permit to build a deck in Suffolk County.
What drives the price
- Decks: the size, the height off the ground, the number of stairs, the railing style and the decking material. For more, see how much a new deck costs in Suffolk County.
- Deck repairs: how many boards or railings, and whether the framing underneath needs work.
- Roof leaks: how steep and high the roof is, what’s causing the leak, and how much damage the water did.
- Power washing: how much surface, what it’s made of, and how dirty it is.
You get a written, itemized price before we start, so there’s no guessing.
Weather and timing
Outside work depends on the weather. Decks and power washing are easier to schedule in dry, mild stretches, and many people plan them for spring so the deck is ready for summer. Roof leaks don’t wait for good weather, so call as soon as you see one. Your written price includes a start date and how long the job will take, and we’ll keep you posted if rain pushes the schedule.
How to choose someone for exterior work
- For decks, ask about the ledger and flashing. It’s the connection that matters most, and it’s hidden once the deck is built.
- For leaks, ask how they’ll find the source. Tarring over the stain on the roof isn’t a repair.
- For power washing, ask about pressure. One setting for everything is a warning sign.
- Get it in writing, and check the Suffolk County home improvement license. Ours is HI-73429.
What to have ready when we come out
- For a leak: where the water shows up inside, when it happens (every rain, or only in wind-driven storms), and photos of the stain
- For a deck repair: which boards feel soft, whether the stairs or railings are loose, and how old you think the deck is
- For a new deck: roughly how big you want it, which door it comes off, and any survey or property drawing you have
- For power washing: which sides of the house, and whether the deck, fence, patio or walkways are included
- Where the outdoor water spigots are, and anything in the yard we should work around, like plantings, a pool or a dog run
Protecting the house and yard
Outside work has its own kind of mess. Old deck boards have nails. Roof repairs drop bits of shingle. Power washing throws spray and loosened dirt. We cover plants and outdoor furniture near the work, keep water away from windows and doors, and pick up debris at the end of every day. When the job is done, the old material is hauled away and we walk around the house with you to make sure everything looks right.
Where we work outside
We’re based in Medford and do deck, roof leak and power washing work up to about 45 minutes away, from the bay towns like Sayville and Blue Point to the North Shore around Stony Brook and Port Jefferson. Houses near the water take a beating from salt air and wind, and it shows first on decks and siding. Call 631-745-9982 or send a few photos with the form below.
Outside the house questions
Should I repair my deck or replace it?
If the framing underneath and the posts are solid, new boards, stairs or railings can give you a lot more years. If the framing is rotted or the deck is pulling away from the house, replacing it is usually the safer choice. We'll show you what we find.
Do I need a permit for a deck?
New decks almost always need one, and some repairs do too. The rules depend on your town. Check with your town's building department, like the Town of Brookhaven or the Town of Islip, or your incorporated village.
Do you replace whole roofs?
We do roof leak repairs: finding the source, replacing damaged shingles and fixing flashing. If your roof is past repairing, we'll tell you so you can plan for a replacement.
Will power washing damage my siding?
Not when it's done right. Vinyl siding needs low pressure and the right angle so water doesn't get pushed behind it. We match the pressure to the surface.
Can you fix the ceiling inside after a roof leak?
Yes. Once the leak is fixed, we can repair the stained or damaged ceiling and paint it, so one crew handles the whole thing.
How much does exterior work cost?
It depends on the size of the deck, what's damaged, how easy the roof is to reach, or how much surface needs washing. You get a written, itemized price before we start.
Get a price on your outside work.
Tell us what's going on: the deck, the leak or the siding. Photos of the damage or the area help a lot.
631-745-9982- Price in writing before any work starts.
- One crew from start to finish.
- Fully insured