A Backyard Deck in Brooklyn Spans Wall-to-Wall
How we transformed our overgrown Brooklyn garden into a family room
- Homeowners: Jess + Henry posted their Brooklyn deck renovation on Sweeten
- Where: Brooklyn, New York
- Primary renovation: Renovating a 350-square-foot backyard with a raised deck, built-in seating, and planters
- With: Sweeten general contractor
- Homeowner’s quote: “We found a Sweeten contractor who stayed in constant contact, giving us progress updates.”
Overhaul an overgrown urban garden
Two years ago, we bought this 2,000-square-foot townhome, located between the Crown Heights and Prospect Lefferts neighborhoods. The attached single-family house was built in 1908, and we’ve been slowly working on updating it. Last year, with the pandemic grounding us at home, we got to work renovating our backyard.
The backyard was a blank canvas. The previous owners had laid concrete slabs on the ground in the area closest to the house, but the space was otherwise covered in grass. We allowed it to grow wild our first summer here. The brush got so high that our dog, Sasha, would walk out and disappear. We wanted to turn our barren backyard into a place that we—my husband, Henry, our son, Gavin, and myself—could enjoy.
Solving the rain problem
Henry and I knew we wanted a deck with built-in seating, and we loved the modern look of horizontal fencing. We liked bluestone pavers and wanted to incorporate it. But our first concern was to identify and solve some engineering problems. We’d had a water issue in our fence-enclosed backyard since we bought the place—flooding whenever it rained. We needed a contractor who could fix that.
Seeking the right expertise
The process of finding our Sweeten contractor was streamlined and direct. We posted our project and soon received a bid from a small firm we thought we wanted to hire. We threw out many concerns as well as ideas when we discussed the job with the contractor, and when we saw his great sketches incorporating everything, we knew he was the one we were searching for.
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Designing an outdoor living room
Once we had what we needed, the team began the work of reengineering the drainage system on our property. This made for a lot of holes in the ground, but they knew what they were doing and they ultimately solved the water problem. To create the deck, they drilled down in a series of spots, so large deck beams could be sunk into the earth. They then created a structural platform connecting the beams, which became the deck foundation.
Our Sweeten contractor and his team were wonderful from beginning to end. We’d decided on the raised deck to break up the flow of the backyard. We agreed there should be a clear delineation between the ground and the spot where you “step” up onto the deck, like an outdoor living room. Whenever they had an idea, they would either lay it out or draw it for us. The result was a truly collaborative design that perfectly reflected our aesthetic.
Customizing a Brooklyn deck renovation
Long boards were framed horizontally to create the high vertical walls. The contractor came up with the idea of spacing between the boards, and we loved it.
Atop the foundation they’d made, the contractors built the large platform deck. Benches and planters were built around the perimeter. They customized everything. The contractor had Henry and me sit on a “mock” bench and rest our arms with drinks to determine what height to build the side tables. The bench seat slides out to reveal built-in storage for pillows and gardening tools.
We picked a wood stain in a color we love—it gives the wood a mixture of brightness and warmth we were looking for. A small but impactful detail was that the design team chose nails in a similar color so it blended with the wood. I didn’t even realize that nails came in different colors.
We chose square, untextured slabs of bluestone pavers to surface the area between the house and the step-up onto the deck. The backdrop is the beautiful old brick of the building behind us!
Loving our Sweeten construction crew
The project manager and crew were great. We found a Sweeten contractor who stayed in constant contact, giving us progress updates. He was knowledgeable, detail-oriented, and efficient, and he was also great with kids. He informed us of any challenges we were running into ahead of time, so that Henry and I were mentally prepared. This helped us to make informed decisions.
Our Sweeten contractor shared everything from design and decor ideas to recipes and movie recommendations. The crew brought such great energy to our backyard that we missed them when work was complete.
Feeling beyond satisfied
Now that our backyard is finished, we love everything about it. Having a private spot of green in the city feels like an absolute must. Our backyard is a sanctuary where we can relax, eat, drink, enjoy nature, and feel at ease.
Thank you, Jess and Henry, for sharing your inspiring Brooklyn deck renovation with us!
Renovation Materials
DECKPlus Transparent Waterproofing Wood Finish in Cedar: Behr.
Updated on April 13, 2024
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