With over 14 years of experience under his belt, the owner of Blue Tree Builders, Brian Iwano, has taught himself everything he knows about home remodeling. With a background in the restaurant industry, Iwano didn’t know much about remodeling until he bought his first home with his wife. After fixing it up on his own, he was drawn to do more, eventually starting his business as a part-time handyman and evolving that into the full-service custom remodeling business he has today.

As summer approaches, the team at Blue Tree Builders has shifted its gears to focus on the exterior aspects of homes—building decks. House & Home spoke with Iwano about what homeowners should consider when deciding to build an outdoor living space and how to hire the right company to fit their needs.

What qualities should a homeowner look for in a deck builder?
When a homeowner is looking for a deck builder they need to not only consider the price but also the company. A deck builder needs to really understand the entire deckbuilding process, from design to zoning, drawing, permits, building and finally finishing the project. A deck needs to be planned intentionally and properly so that the homeowner is able to fully optimize utilization of the space. In order to accomplish this, the builder needs to be attentive and listen throughout the process. This puts the builder in tune with the customer’s “wants” in order to give them the very best personalized product.

I encourage all of my customers to meet with various builders before they decide whom to hire. In advance of these meetings, homeowners should collect pictures and ideas. Pinterest is a great resource for this. They can also browse the projects on our website. If there is a project they like, I can put them in contact with that customer so they can discuss the experience they had with us and how their project ideas were gathered. I’d like potential customers to know they are working with a company that will finish the project well, but also give them an experience they deserve.  

What makes your design and project processes unique?
Each customer is given our full attention. We want to ensure that their experience with us is the best it can be. During our discovery meetup, we work one-on-one with them to discuss their design ideas and budget, guiding them through the process, and trying to work in as much of their wish list as possible. We don’t oversell if it doesn’t make sense for the customer, the budget or the property. We provide color renderings and walk customers through all of the selections so they know exactly what the project will look like before we start. Once the project starts, we are in constant communication regarding progress and any scheduling changes that may come up. Rain (and sometimes snow) puts a damper (pun intended) on most exterior work.

When it comes to adding accessories and additional features into a deck, what should homeowners consider?
Lighting is important. It can offer ambiance, provide safety at night, and light a path for your guests to show them the way. There are countless ways lighting can enhance your deck project just like it can any other home improvement project.

Structural covering can allow for the space to become more usable year round or on very sunny (or rainy) days.

There are numerous different color combinations that can be attained with various decking and railing material that can make it stand out and make it your own. We are working with a customer now who has some pretty elaborate plans for an outdoor living space with a pool, a swim spa, an outdoor kitchen, a portico and of course lighting.

Railings are another important feature that we have to consider. Not every decking product has the exact matching railing material. In this case, we can consider using metal, vinyl, glass, cable or a combination of these.

What are your recommendations for choosing deck materials?
Decks are all built with concrete footings and structural lumber, most commonly pressure treated pine. That’s our department. To finish their deck, most of our customers choose a composite material like Trex. There are many manufacturers today putting out some great products to meet virtually any design requirement and budget. Composite looks great, comes in various colors, lasts a long time and requires very little maintenance. Composite material can be considerably more costly to purchase and install but our customers see the value in that.

Wood is still a great option for deck purists; and there are some really great finish coatings available on the market today to help wood decking last longer. Although maintenance can be more involved for wood decking depending on certain environmental conditions, there’s still a lot to love about a classic wood deck.

Summer’s coming. Let us build that deck for you that you’ve always wanted. 

Blue Tree Builders, LLC
Cherry Hill, N.J. | (609) 240-3231 | ExperienceBlueTree.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 20, Issue 9 (March 2020). 
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