A “W” for the Win How One Builder Matched Its Customer’s Needs With Their Personality By Sara Graves AN AERIAL VIEW of The North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) 2nd Place winner, Refinished/ Restored Deck 2020. (Photo by Mitchell Construction).
When Mitchell Construction began building a deck in Manhattan, IL., the homeowner had two concerns in mind: make the decking maintenance free and reuse the main structure. However, with a few strategically placed inlays, and some very personal touches, the deck became a showstopper. “Maintenance of a home is a daunting task. People are interested in building products that reduce the time and money spent on upkeep. This project started with that same mindset,” said Mike Mitchell, owner of Mitchell Construction in Monee, IL. “The customer was done with sanding and staining wood and wanted something ‘maintenance free.’” Trex, in color Trex Transcend Rope Swing, was chosen as the best low-maintenance product for the main decking. Grooved boards were chosen for most of the deck, and solid boards for along the outer picture frame border and on the stairs. And since Mitchell is not a fan of butt seams in the field boards of decking, he worked with the homeowner to not only address the butt seams, but also add a few personal touches to reflect the 18
| Deck Specialist | Spring 2022
homeowner’s personality. It was decided that an octagon “M” inlay in the center of the deck, which represents the first letter of the customer’s last name, would address both needs. “The octagon started out as a breaker to keep the upper section under 20 ft.,” Mitchell said. “But if you look at the inlay from the other side, it’s a ‘W’ for Win, depending on the season the Cubs are having,” he joked, referring to the customer’s love of the Chicago Cubs. “We were happy to letter up their deck.” Ironically, some adjustments to the design of the upper deck made the octagon unnecessary in terms of butt seams, but by then the inlay in the color Trex Transcend Spiced Rum had become an important part of the project. “It was able to stay in purely for aesthetics,” he said. “It really gave some sentimental value to the deck.” To create the unique inlay, Mitchell made a cardboard template to help with the location of the backing blocks. A track saw was used to cut out the shapes once the main decking was
