Composite Deck & Glass Railing

This is a lakefront cabin on the Birchcliff side of Sylvan Lake. The existing deck worked, but it was narrow for the way the family actually used it, and the old railing cut straight across the view of the water. The brief was more room facing the lake and a rail you could see through.

We pushed the footprint out to 8 feet 6 inches across the lakeside of the cabin. Framing is pressure treated 2x10 and 2x8 joists on new 4x4 posts, all hung with Simpson Strong-Tie hangers. The ledger is secured with structural screws behind waterproof flashing, and the rim joists and joist ends were replaced and protected rather than patched. Blocking went in throughout for code-compliant support.

The surface is Eva-Last Infinity in Caribbean Coral, roughly 292 square feet, laid with the Camo hidden fastener system so the field is screw free, and bordered with a picture frame. It is 95 percent recycled bamboo, stays cool enough to walk on barefoot in July, and carries a 25 year warranty against fading and staining. No sealing, no annual upkeep.

The staircase was rebuilt to suit the new deck elevation, with pressure treated stringers, composite treads matching the deck, and code dimensions at 7.5 inch rise and 11 inch run. Stairs are mitred and picture framed with fascia so they read as part of the deck rather than an add-on.

The railing is a topless frameless system: 42 inch tempered glass panels on brushed aluminum posts, 36 linear feet of it. It blocks the wind coming off the lake without blocking the lake. SmartSide skirting wraps the perimeter 2 feet high, primed and painted white to match the cabin posts and trim, and the permit went through the Town of Sylvan Lake.