Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for deck and patio contractors that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For M&M Builders, the key to achieving and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction is taking a personal approach to every project and working closely with clients to ensure their expectations are met. “Our main goal is to deliver exactly what our clients want,” confirms owner Mark von Dohren. “By the time each project is over, we want our services to have produced 100 percent satisfaction.”

M&M Builders has been designing and building natural and synthetic decks, arbors and backyard living spaces for homeowners in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties since 1984. By integrating high-quality wood craftsmanship with landscaping, the company strives to create outdoor environments that are beautiful, durable and unique.

Unlike less experienced deck and patio contractors that are more concerned with maximizing project costs than the quality of their work, M&M Builders approaches each job with the goal of delivering proficient craftsmanship that exceeds industry standards. “We’re fanatical about balance and design,” says Mr. von Dohren. “Everything has to be perfect before we consider a project to be complete. Our customers deserve nothing but the best, and that’s what we strive to provide.”

To further differentiate itself from its competition, M&M Builders supplements its regular construction capabilities with complete in-house design services–a comprehensive approach that saves clients time and money by allowing them to deal with one company throughout every phase of their projects. “Most people who want decks and arbors have to hire designers or architects first, but we can take care of everything at once,” explains Mr. von Dohren. “It’s an exciting process to take people’s ideas and make them happen.”

Resealing your redwood deck is crucial for maintaining its efficiency. When it comes to building outdoor decks, redwood is the most commonly used type of wood because of its beauty, strength and durability. However, redwood doesn’t maintain these characteristics on its own—in order to preserve its integrity, you have to reseal it approximately every two years.

Before applying a sealant or other chemical treatment to your deck, it’s important to rigorously clean its surface so the sealant can penetrate the pores and bind to the wood. The simplest, chemical-free cleaning option is pressure washing, which removes dirt and debris from the wood’s pores and prevents the deck from turning grey over time. If you prefer to handle the pressure washing yourself, make sure you keep the machine at low pressure to avoid potentially damaging the deck.

In addition to pressure washing, you can opt to use a chemical cleaner like TSP or oxalic acid. Remember to always use a product that’s appropriate for the situation—don’t confuse wood bleach with regular bleach, for example. Using similarly inappropriate products to clean your deck can damage it instead of preserve it. Consult your contractor or local hardware store to select the right chemical cleaning product for your deck maintenance needs.

Though the classic redwood deck has become commonplace, some homeowners prefer an option that requires less upkeep. Here are a few examples of deck materials that are just as durable as redwood but require little to no maintenance:

Ipe
This South American wood’s extreme density and natural oils give it a supreme durability and make it naturally resistant to scratching, decay and termites. An untreated Ipe deck should last about 40 years, but a simple surface deck oil application can extend its lifespan to 100 years.

Composite
This style of deck is built from planks that are manufactured with a combination of wood and plastic. Available in a variety of colors and styles, composite planks give the appearance of natural wood but don’t need to be routinely sealed or treated with chemicals.

Aluminum
While it bears a less-convincing resemblance to natural wood, the structural benefits of aluminum are considerable: it’s lighter, stronger, requires less maintenance, and is completely resistant to insects, decay and fire.

Q: What kind of wood do you use and where you do you get it from?

A: We primarily build decks with redwood and Ipe, which is a dense tropical wood. Deck framing has to be straight, not warped, which is why we only use high grade, pressure-treated, rot-resistant wood. We’ll go to the lumber yard, ask them to sort through their piles of lumber and pick the best of what they have. Wood quality is very important to us.

Q: Do you build decks with products other than wood?

A: Yes, we also build decks out of composite and plastic materials, which are made to resemble the grain and texture of wood. These styles of decking are ideal for homeowners who don’t want to deal with maintenance. You have to re-stain a wood deck every two years, but some of these alternative decks will basically last forever.

Q: What should I do to extend the life of my wood deck?

A: If you want the wood to consistently look new, apply an oil-based sealer to protect the deck from the sun. If it’s a redwood deck, you should reseal it every two years to maintain its efficiency.

Q: Is there a minimum height that a deck should be built off the ground?

A: For redwood and composite decks, the minimum is typically seven inches. Ipe decks have to be built with a 12-inch clearance.

Q: When you install a deck on unlevel ground, do you grade the whole area or just the area where the foundation is being set?

A: We have to grade the whole area because when it rains, water has to be able to run underneath into a drain or away from the house.

Q: What’s the most important part of designing a deck?

A: It’s all about balance—the pool has to balance with the deck area, the deck area has to balance with the arbors, and even the rock placements have to balance with each other. We may not be able to put our finger on it, but we know what it’s like when you enter somebody’s house and it just feels right. That’s the feeling we strive to achieve when we design decks.