From Cracked Tile to Clean Lines — A Rebuilt Deck in Bethlehem, PA

At Upgryd, we recently replaced a raised balcony in Bethlehem, PA that sat over a lower-level patio. The floor was red ceramic tile, cracked through in several places, and the railing was red metal. Underneath, the joists were stained and weathered, and the patio below sat under that ceiling with its own sliding door.

This was not a job for new boards over the old structure. We removed the tile balcony and its railing, and we took out both sliding patio doors. Then we opened up the house wall where the deck attaches. Where the ledger area had been damaged and around the door openings, we cut out and repaired the rotted wall sheathing and replaced rotted 2x4 door framing as needed. A new deck is only as good as the wall it hangs on.

We rebuilt from the frame up with #1 grade pressure-treated lumber: 2x8 joists on 12-inch centers, structural joist hangers, a deck tension tie, and joist tape on every joist. The tighter spacing is deliberate. It carries the single-board picture frame and gives the waterproofing a flat, even surface to work from.

That waterproofing is the part you can see from below. We installed an EPDM under-deck waterproofing system between the joists, so the underside of the deck works as a finished ceiling for the patio beneath it.

Both sliding doors were replaced with new units, including new inside and outside moldings. One opens onto the deck above. The other opens onto the lower patio.

On top, the client chose Deckorators Venture in Sandbar, a warm tan composite that sits well against the home's wood-tone siding. We laid the deck with a single-board picture frame in Sandbar, built picture-frame stairs with Sandbar treads, and wrapped the edge in 1x12 Sandbar fascia and stair risers. Hidden edge clips and color-matched plugs finish the fastening.

The railing is white vinyl with black aluminum balusters, set on metal structural posts inside vinyl post sleeves with caps and skirts. A black aluminum handrail runs along the house side of the stairs. The black balusters keep the sightline open to the yard, and the white rail gives the deck a crisp edge against the siding.

The finished deck is a level, low-maintenance platform with a new frame and waterproofing under it, two new sliding doors, and a lower patio that now sits under a finished ceiling. What you see from the yard on the deck itself is all new.

If you are looking for a composite deck builder in Bethlehem or the Lehigh Valley, Upgryd is ready to bring your project to life with premium materials, efficient timelines, and interactive proposals that put you in control.