LOCATION

Oro-Medonte, Ontario

DECK SIZE

1,500 Sq Ft

STRUCTURE

Steel Frame

DECKING

Deckorators Composite

ORO-MEDONTE CASE STUDY

A 1,500 Sq Ft Deck Built on Steel

Behind this brick home in Oro-Medonte, we built a 1,500 sq ft deck on a steel frame and finished it with Deckorators composite boards.

The deck wraps the back of the house at main-floor height, with the walkout level and lawn below it. At that size and height, the frame carries most of the load, so we built it in steel: posts, beams and joists.

The finish list is short but complete. The deck surface is fully waterproofed, PVC panels close in the underside, hideaway privacy screens add some shelter when it’s wanted, and an in-lite lighting package lights the deck after dark. Read more about our composite deck design and construction.

See How the Frame Went In
Black steel posts and joists of a raised deck frame along the rear wall of a brick home in Oro-Medonte
Before: open lawn behind a two-storey brick home in Oro-Medonte before the deck build

BEFORE THE BUILD

Open Lawn and a Tall Rear Wall

Before work started, the back of the house was all lawn. There was no deck and no outdoor space at main-floor level, just doors on the walkout level and a long drop from the upper windows to the grass.

The yard slopes along the side of the house and opens toward a tree line at the back of the lot. A deck at main-floor height needed a frame that could carry a large surface over that grade without filling the space below with posts.

WHAT THE DECK INCLUDES

Dry Below, Private Above, Lit at Night

The frame is the part you can see in these photos. Here is what goes on top of it and underneath it.

WATERPROOFED

A finished ceiling underneath

The whole deck is waterproofed, and PVC panels cover the underside. Looking up from the walkout level, you see a clean ceiling instead of joists.

PRIVACY

Screens that tuck away

Hideaway privacy screens come out when the owners want more cover and put away when they want the open view back.

LIGHTING

An in-lite package

The in-lite lighting package keeps the deck usable after sunset. See our outdoor lighting options for similar setups.

Overhead drone view of the steel deck frame at the back of the home

FROM ABOVE

1,500 Square Feet, Wrapped Around the House

From the drone, the frame reads as one continuous deck that turns the corner of the home.

LAYOUT AND FRAMING

Marked on the Lawn, Then Built in Steel

The footprint was painted out on the grass first, so post locations and the deck outline could be checked against the house before anything went in the ground.

From there the crew set steel posts and beams and ran steel joists back to the house at an even spacing. Steel doesn’t twist, shrink or rot the way wood can, which matters on a deck this large. Compare the options on our steel-framed decks page.

Orange layout paint marking the deck footprint on the lawn beside the home

FRAME DETAILS

Long Spans, Few Posts

Up close, the joists are tight and straight, and the beams span long distances between posts. That leaves the area below the deck open for the walkout level.

Close view of evenly spaced steel deck joists and a steel beam on the Oro-Medonte deck frame
Side view of the raised steel deck frame with ladders and work tables set up below

WHY IT WORKS

Three Choices Behind This Deck

01

Steel underneath

A steel frame stays straight across a large, raised deck.

02

Composite on top

Deckorators boards give the surface a low-upkeep finish.

03

Use both levels

Waterproofing and PVC panels make the space below part of the yard.

PROJECT GALLERY

From Open Lawn to Steel Frame

Ground and drone photos of the Oro-Medonte yard before the build and while the frame went up.

ORO-MEDONTE PROJECT FAQS

Questions About This Steel-Framed Deck

Short answers on what went into this deck and why.

Discuss a Similar Project
A 1,500 sq ft deck on a steel frame, Deckorators composite decking, full waterproofing, PVC panels on the underside, hideaway privacy screens and an in-lite lighting package.
The deck is large and sits at main-floor height. Steel posts, beams and joists stay straight and span longer distances than wood, so fewer posts are needed in the yard below.
They cover the underside of the deck. Together with the waterproofing, they turn the area below into a finished space instead of open joists.
Yes. Oro-Medonte is in Simcoe County, which is part of our service area. See where else we work on our deck and pool builder service area page.

PLAN YOUR DECK

Thinking About a Large Deck in Simcoe County?

Tell us about the back of your house, the height of the doors and how you want to use the yard. We’ll talk through framing, decking, privacy and lighting as one plan.

Look through our deck design and construction services, read about our workmanship warranty, or browse more completed projects.