Meet the man himself, Tye Sterne, the Founder of Sterne Construction and Landscaping who has built an impressive company over the past five years. In this interview with his brother, JD Sterne, Tye shares expert advice on avoiding major mistakes when hiring a deck contractor, the proper measures to ensure your deck’s longevity, how to choose the best decking material for your needs, and more.
Enjoy the interview by watching the video or reading the text version below.
Well, the best option depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you’re aiming for a brand-new deck that’ll last about 25 years, starting from scratch with proper water management and durable materials like composite decking, aluminum railings, or glass railings is the way to go. These materials resist rot and ensure longevity. If you prefer to stick with what you have and just freshen it up on a smaller budget, you might opt to replace the old deck boards, fix any rotten framing that needs replacing, and lay down new decking. Cedar is popular around here in Muskoka, but for a more budget-friendly choice, pressure-treated wood works well too.
Having a deck makes a huge difference! It transforms an unusable space into livable space, essentially increasing the square footage of your home. If you’re going to enjoy the outdoors anyway, why not do it on a deck? You get all that extra space without the cost of other components that go into a finished house. Plus, you get to enjoy beautiful scenery—around here, it’s often the lake—with nice glass or aluminum railings that offer a great view of the water and nature. Partnering with the right deck company can really help you enhance the value of your property and the experiences it offers.
Well, first off, you want someone who listens to all your interests, wants, and needs. You don’t want someone pushing you towards a single product they prefer. Look for deck builders who are knowledgeable about various products and can recommend different solutions for different requirements. Ultimately, they should help you clarify your preferences, narrow down options, provide a clear pricing structure, and deliver a final product that meets your expectations and leaves you satisfied.
Well, there are a couple of things that can often go wrong, but one of the most common issues is preventing rot. Some contractors either aren’t aware or don’t want to invest the time, or maybe they’ve budgeted the job and want to cut corners. They don’t take all the necessary steps to extend the life of your deck, like ensuring water drains away from flat surfaces where it’s most likely to cause rot. It’s crucial to divert water and protect those surfaces.
You might consider a two-level or multi-level deck if you will be using parts of your deck for different functions such as dining and lounging and want to give each space its own unique feel. But in Muskoka, the main draw is the scenery itself around these beautiful lakes. The decks here typically aren’t the showstoppers themselves. You’re mainly looking to enhance the landscape you already have. The most important thing is that your deck is well-built with high craftsmanship and quality materials to complement your scenery and your budget.
It’s important to consider your vision for your property’s landscape before you build a new deck because the deck might actually get in the way of the equipment required to complete your landscaping projects. We offer multiple solutions like flagstone walkways, patios, retaining walls, granite staircases, garden beds with rock borders, sodding, and more. Finishing the landscaping before the deck often allows you greater possibilities for your property and will save you money in the long run.
Well, at the end of the day, I think it just comes down to trying to do a little bit better than the day before. I’m a bit of a perfectionist. If even the small details don’t look 100% up to my standard, that leaves me unsatisfied. Those kinds of things keep me up at night. Ultimately, all you can do is try and perfect your craft and get better for next time, learn better techniques, get better equipment, and just try and be better the next time you do the same thing.
Well, what compels me to work so hard is when you lock yourself into a timeline and something has got to get done, I don’t want to let people down, I want to make sure that we’re meeting our deadlines. And if working 70 hours per week is what it takes to get the job done, then that’s what it takes. Because I don’t want to go to the customer and say, “Hey. We’re running late.” If I have the time and I can do something about it, I will.
The first step is to click below to get your free estimate started. This gives us all the details we need, including the project location for planning travel logistics. Once we understand your needs, we’ll assess if it’s a good fit. We’re passionate about projects that excite us because that’s when we deliver our best work. If it aligns, we’ll schedule a meeting at your location to discuss specifics and finalize the project plan. After understanding your vision and product preferences, we’ll provide pricing. If everything meets your expectations and budget, we’ll schedule the work and begin on the agreed date. It’s a straightforward process aimed at delivering the best results for you.
We’re based in Bracebridge and we’re willing to serve basically everywhere in Muskoka including Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Bala, Port Carling, Huntsville, and the surrounding areas.
Very minimal involvement is required from you. What we’re looking to do is set up a meeting to consult with you. You’ll show us around your property and explain your goals. We’ll take photos and measurements, then head back to the office to prepare pricing. Once you review and approve the pricing and project start dates, we’ll get to work. All you need to do is provide access to the house if it’s necessary. If not, we’ll handle everything on-site and keep you updated with photo progress. Many of our customers aren’t present during the project and some I’ve never met in person. It’s about trust and delivering results seamlessly.
Well, it’s really hard to put a cost on it because it can vary so much depending on many factors such as building materials. Just for railings alone, you could spend anywhere from $75 per foot up to $300 per foot or more. Your bare bones decking could be 5 times less than your most expensive decking. There’s so much variability. It’s too hard to say. Your best bet would be to use the form on our site to get a free quote and we’ll pretty quickly be able to give you a general idea – sometimes without even seeing your property. If it doesn’t work out, there’s still no obligation. Giving quotes is just a part of my job.
So generally with decks, you will be working with a 6-inch wide product. Docks are more common to be using an 8-inch wide product and you can do the same for decks too. It’s all usually 2-inch thick material. It’s often most about budget when determining what material to build with. Generally, but not always, the more expensive the material, the longer it will last. Pressure-treated spruce is your cheapest option, then you can upgrade to cedar, then pressure-treated cedar, then your composite materials are your premium option, and ultra-premium will be heat-treated ash and Ipe – which are exotic woods. So you have the budget option, you have a middle-tier option, and you have the most durable long-term investment option with composite materials.
Yes, we can. If you tell us you want a deck pretty well anywhere, we’ll find a way to make it happen.
I would say if you’re renovating or if you’re repairing more so, existing construction, you don’t so much need a permit because you’re just doing repairs on what was already there. But if you’re building new, generally you should get a permit.
Yes, we can.
I would consider us to be deck builders with assistance in design. We’re not using in-house deck design software, but we can certainly help you by sketching things out the old fashion way. We can also show you some examples to help get you to where you need to be.
