Footings, frost and why depth is not negotiable
Ottawa ground freezes deep. A footing that stops short of the frost line gets pushed up every winter and dropped every spring, and the deck slowly pulls away from the house.
So footings go below the local frost depth, with saddles that keep the post out of standing water. On clay soils, which turn up around parts of the older south end, movement is worse and depth matters even more.
Getting this right is also what the inspector checks first when a permit applies.
The ledger connection and water
Where a deck attaches to the house is where rot starts. Water gets behind an unflashed ledger, sits against the rim joist, and does its damage out of sight.
We flash that connection properly and use the correct fasteners for the load, rather than lag bolts into sheathing. On homes with brick veneer the detail changes again, and we plan it before we start.
If the rim joist is already soft from a previous deck, that repair happens before the new frame goes on. Our repairs and maintenance crew handles it.
Permits and guard heights
Decks above a set height off grade need a City of Ottawa building permit, as does anything attached to the house that carries load. Inspectors check footing depth, guard height, spindle spacing and stair rise and run.
We apply for the permit and meet the inspector. If you would rather keep a deck low and permit free, we will tell you where that line sits before you fall in love with a design.
What a deck quote from us includes
- Material and grade: pressure treated, cedar or a named composite line.
- Structural detail: footing depth, beam sizing and joist spacing.
- Ledger and flashing: how the deck attaches to the house.
- Guards and stairs: heights, spacing and landing detail.
- Permit line: whether one applies and who pulls it.
- Finish: whether staining or sealing is included this season.
Where deck building sits in the bigger job
This work is part of our carpenter service, so it can run on its own or as one stage inside a larger project. When it is part of a bigger renovation we sequence it with the other trades rather than treating it as a standalone visit.
Clients booking this often pair it with cabinet installation, fence installation, door installation or window installation. One contract covers whichever combination you need, with a single schedule and one point of contact.
Deck Building across the Ottawa area
We take this work on throughout the greater Ottawa area. Recent jobs have run through Nepean, Merivale, South Keys, Kanata and the surrounding neighbourhoods. The consultation is free wherever you are in the city.