| Postscript:
What I learned from
this project was that prefabricated decks are a big liability for both
the owner and the manufacturer because these decks are not easily
repairable; only the complete replacement of damaged components is
possible and that takes carpentry skill to achieve.
For the case in
point: right after we built this deck, the dog of the owner's friend was
left out in the yard overnight. Came morning, the dog had chewed the
corners of the prefabricated seat and a number of balusters in the
continuous railing before all this vandalism was discovered and terminated
(along with the perpetrator).
The repair job was
monumental. I had contracted with a large manufacturer of butcher-blocks
to prefabricate the modular components to order for this project. So I had
to go back to them with hat-in-hand for just a few components. I
repaired the deck myself only because it was local and not feasible for
anyone else to do. I would not have repaired it otherwise. I'm not at all
interested in spending one minute of my productive time doing any kind of
deck repair work, especially when Mr. Deck has nothing to do with being
the cause of the damage in the first place.
There was a company
back in 1986, in Concord, California, called ModuDeck, that tried making
prefab decks. They lasted only one year before going under. What they
learned the hard way was that everyone had a different situation when it
came to decks and they were being called upon to customize their
modularized designs to fit each and every situation. They spent more time
installing their decks than prefabricating them. Mass producing components
for modularized designs was not the answer to making decks more
affordable. This lesson is still being learned by other well intentioned
visionaries to this day. My advice: Don't buy a modularized deck from
anybody. For a caveat emptor, see my critique of EZ Deck by
clicking
here.
In the 20 years of
building decks, I haven't built the same style deck twice. This was
my one-time experiment in making a prefabricated deck and I
never made another one. When peoples' houses start getting
designed around the deck, then prefabrication may become viable.
This situation
doesn't arise for our prefab arbors
because certain classic designs of detached structures have been
standardized and when any component is needed, it can be fabricated upon
demand. For us, the only work involved is the shopwork. It's the owner's
responsibility to make the repairs just as it is his responsibility to
build the arbor from our furnished kit in the first place – if he did it
once, he can do it again, especially if he hired a contractor to do it for
him.
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