Peter M

Deck review skyscapes Thursday, November 23, 2017 11:51 AM Recently I updated/renovated my home.. This will come as no surprise that this process feels more at time like trench warfare.. Contractors, as the process reaches the 3/4 mark become more of the problem than the solution... Over promising and under-delivering... Sub-Trades that use materials contrary to instructions... As the process ends without an adequate holdback a bad taste can be left in ones mouth... Like a war that has gone on too long one is weary. Wanting only for an end. But this is not a cautionary tale but one that concludes with a light at the end of the metaphorical tunnel.. A light that is not the Train Hurtling toward you at high speed With my relationship with my Contractor just slightly better than that of North Korea with the entire planet, (though I believe the North Korean Dictator is more trustworthy than my contactor but that is another matter, when it was time for redoing / remediating my balcony I decided it was best to leave the contractor to Karma and move on. After some research I came across a short list of three companies that put down new decking on balcony Skyscapes of one of them. I will be honest with little direction to go and armed only with my now well honed skepticism I started an internet search Skyscapes, (like the other shortlisted companies), came to my home looked at my needs and looked at my particular balcony AND LISTENED to my concerns and expectations. I live in a house Not a condominium. My balcony is on what is known as a flat roof covered by a membrane. I Required that the (Glass) Railing be Anchored in part on the Deck that would be floating on the flat roof. The first thing that was made clear to me on my meeting with the representative was that laminate materials or non wood materials would not work because of my requirement regarding the Railing In fact I was be replacing a floating wood balcony (builders grade Pressure treated lumber circa 1982), so covering with a new wood balcony at first seemed underwhelming However... Skyscapes offered me a product Which the others did not use with a simple yet unique system designed to minimize wear to the membrane below. The Wood is made of the Extremely hard/dense rainforest wood called IPE ,(for those who care ethically sourced) .Being very dense and therefore would weather well in fact I was told that this wood is used in government of Ontario docks which can be left nature or Oiled to give it richer wet look. These modular Square pieces made up of these planks would then be laid out across an over a grid system that was designed to be placed on top of flat roofs that have membranes so as to spread out I guess weight distribution and that's make the risk of puncture in the roof at a minimum. The wood itself is Thick enough that the New Rail could be anchored according to the Rail Maker's* Specs (*Shower Door of Canada I highly recommend them as well) No other company that I interviewed had a system so well suited to a membrane flat roof. Nor did the others really understand my Rail requirements. Their solutions involved pouring concrete. Most of the residential Decking companies I found are so focused on Concrete Condominium balconies they do not really have Single Family Detached home solutions unless the balcony in question is a concrete balcony. Skyscapes Ipe solution floating system seemed ideally suited to being placed on top of a residential flat roof. Again most of these systems that I looked we're designed to be placed on concrete slab balconies as one might find in a condominium or certain new build homes further the Ipe wood was thick enough and dense enough that a new rail system could be placed on top of this and properly affixed. Now of course I had heard the promise How would this all turn out .. How would Skyscapes Execute After a period of a month or so after they gave me a quote I booked in with Skyscapes to have the deck done I discovered of course like layers of an onion it was probably a good idea to put a new membrane down over the roof thus better to do it now then later as it have been 10 years. It cost as much to put down a new membrane as it cost to do the deck with Skyscapes materials and their installation , the roofer came to install the new flat roof and he is very good at what he does he was there for approximately an hour maybe 90 minutes start to finish ... Skyscapes People ,(who were by the way always polite clean cut well-dressed at no time during the entire process did I that I feel that at the end of the day I would find myself in any kind of peril) arrived or the installation day knowing exactly what to do and how to do it,( I note this as you would think Flooring installers knew how to install their companies flooring... And yet..I digress)The Job was done by one very focused and dedicated person.. The Roofer may be able to get a new membrane on in an hour but the decking That took Skyscapes 6++ hours.. The attention to detail is admirable and much appreciated by this client. An entire day one person making a very detailed job which was far more involved than I imagined in fact I thought that this would take maybe an hour maybe 3 when the rain ( ah the summer of 2017) started he continued to work. This is as it turns out very detailed work in sections because a house balcony is not always as Square as it should be and they did a wonderful job in placing the new balcony modular sections in place so as to make things perhaps with more Square than they actually are what impressed me was when The Heavy Rain started and sometimes especially at the corners some of these sections have to be cut he was out there in the pouring rain with the table saw. This goes back to the right people. Because I said to the gentleman who is doing the installation or please feel free to set up your table saw my garage you're going to get soaked out there as he was working under a tree and he said no because the dust would get all over my garage etc He was at it for 6+hours the new decking was installed unfortunately due to the weather we have had this summer oiling at the deck would have to wait while the IPE can go without being oiled I must say it looks stunning when it is oiled. I would have to wait another month before my balcony rails were ready and installed a wonderful compliment to the deck stainless steel rails glass panels I would highly recommend Shower door of Canada who also does exterior glass. railings. In short In a society where too many over promise and under-deliver. Skyscapes speaks softly and let their work and your product speak for itself.. Excellent Product excellent value (compared especially to the new membrane beneath... And the Aftercare .. excellent So when it come to refinishing/remediating my balcony I got lucky and found an excellent company who actually do what they say and are actually there for you after they have been paid. I put great value in my Money Skyscapes places Great Value in Their Work.. Money well spent If one hires Skyscapes, from my experience, one doesn't have to cross one's fingers and hope for the best.. You get what you bargained for and are left with a functional thing of beauty.. And that is better than a bad taste in your mouth any day of the week.