How to shoot the photos Five or six, in about five minutes — five is the minimum:
The wall the deck attaches to — straight on, from as far back as you can getBoth corners of that wall , at an angle, so we can see how the house turnsThe ground where the deck will sit — we’re looking for the slopeThe view out , through the door you’ll actually walk throughAnything in the way — AC unit, hose bib, meter, a tree you want to keep Two things that help the photos Shoot on an overcast day or in the morning . Harsh midday
sun blows out the siding detail we need in order to match it. And
stand back further than feels necessary — we can crop in,
we can’t crop out.
We’d rather have six quick snaps today than perfect ones next week.
If you don’t know what you want yet That is the normal case, and it is what this is for. Say so on the
form and the preview comes back with a recommendation attached —
the material, the railing and the layout we’d put on this house,
and the reason for each. Ask for more than one version and you get two
or three to compare, on your own elevation rather than someone
else’s.
Deciding on materials Say what you like and what you don’t, or say you are
undecided — we will send options either way. One thing worth
knowing before you pick: a 45-degree board layout needs the framing
built at 12 in on center rather than 16, so it is a decision that
has to happen before the frame goes up. The
materials page
covers what each surface actually does at this elevation.
Deciding on railing Tell us what you have in mind, or say you are undecided. If your
deck has a view worth having, ask about a drink cap or a bar-height
dining rail — a side-mounted cap keeps the sightline open where a
heavy top rail would sit across it, so the railing
doesn’t interrupt what you’re looking at.
If wind is a problem where you are — and on a lot of exposed lots it is —
glass panels work as a windbreak rather than just infill.
A preview, not a construction drawing It exists to help you decide, and nothing gets built from it. The
recommendation that comes with it is an opinion about your house, not
a specification — dimensions, framing and footings get settled
later, with the builder and the building department.