Homeowners in South Range, WI Plan Ahead for Permanently Stabilized Deck
Challenge
Homeowners across Minnesota and Wisconsin like to make the most of the outdoors. Decks and patios extend our living space and provide us with room to enjoy nature, host barbecues, and relax! Whether you've got an outdoor deck or a 4-season porch addition to your home, you want to make sure it is well supported. When decks are built, oftentimes contractors will dig down below the surface of the soil to pour concrete. This serves as the footing for the deck supports and seems like a sturdy base. The problem is that concrete is really heavy. During the freeze and thaw of each season in the Northland, soil moves a lot and easily pushes these concrete footing out of place. Once the footing moves, the vertical support moves, and your deck sinks.
These South Range, WI homeowners did not want to build a deck that would start to settle a few years later. Instead, they called DBS to inquire about our Helical Deck Piering system.
Solution
DBS Design Specialist Henrik Makitalo worked with the homeowners and devised a plan for the deck support system. He recommended installing Supportworks Helical Piers before the deck was built. The homeowners prepared the site for the deck installation and measure accordingly for the placement of the support beams. DBS Foreman Jose Valenzuela and his piering crew installed 3 helical piers. The team used a mini-excavator to place and hydraulically drive the piers into place, twisting them, almost like a giant screwdriver. Crew members measure carefully and drove the piers into the ground until the pressure gauge reported that the piers had reached load-bearing soil. This means that the piers will support the deck for years to come against movement.
