As they approach their 33rd year in business, it would be easy for Amazing Decks co-founders Bill Wilson and Keith Fry to become complacent in their work or to rest on their accomplishments from three decades in the industry.

But anyone who encounters the pair soon realizes that the opposite is true. They continue to be passionate about designing and building backyard oases that their customers can enjoy for years to come, and they can draw on their vast experience to avoid common pitfalls.

"When you've been in business this long, it becomes easy, because we've already made the mistakes and we've learned from them," Wilson says. "We were part of this industry long before it became what it is now. We watched it change from people just having a simple wood deck to now adding a space that can be amazing. It's a lot of fun and we love helping people out."

The philosophy at Amazing Decks centers on the idea of integrated home design. This comprehensive approach aims to extend the heart of the home to the outside, creating a large, livable space that can be utilized for everything from a big graduation party to a simple family get-together.

"There's a fine line between a project that gets used and a project that never gets used," Wilson says. "It would be heartbreaking at the completion to have a homeowner say, 'I wish we would have done this or that.' That's why the design is crucial. It has to be inviting; people want something that feels personal and something that will help them relax."

To achieve this goal, Amazing Decks puts a great emphasis on the planning stage. While some potential customers will ask for estimates over the phone or through email, it is important for the designers to personally visit the site and get to know the homeowners.

They will ask questions regarding the size of their family, how often they entertain, whether they plan to add a pool, etc.

"We're interviewing them just like they're interviewing us," Wilson says. "Our initial meeting is very easy-going. We get to know the client and find out how they're going to use the space. Then we're able to tie everything together and design something in the backyard that they're going to use. It doesn't have to be expensive; it just has to be designed right."

Amazing Decks has often been called upon to fix mistakes by other companies that did not design a backyard space properly. Wilson and Fry are determined to design a space that will not only work now, but in the future, should the homeowners want to add to the space or decide to sell the home.

The many successful jobs the company has completed also tend to stand out in the neighborhood.

"Our designs are unique," Wilson says. "We do a lot of curves – we have the equipment to curve boards, so a lot of our decks are free-flowing curves. We also integrate other materials, like paver patios or bluestone. Maybe the backyard doesn't just call for a deck; maybe it calls for a combination of the two. Even though we're a deck company, we have to be honest with the customer and tell them what will work best.

"We can do patios, walkways, plantings, outdoor low-voltage lighting, grilling stations and fireplaces. Shade is huge as well – every outdoor project should have some sort of roof structure for people to sit under and get shielded from the sun."

As one of the first companies to install maintenance-free composite boards, Amazing Decks has a longstanding relationship with Trex, perhaps the most well-known name in the industry.

"That's not to say we won't work with another manufacturer, but we are primarily a Trex dealer," Wilson says. "We've been using Trex ever since we started the business. They always come out with new products, but the product we're using now is approximately 11 years old, the Trex Transcend line, and it doesn't seem like anyone has ever been able to compete with it.

"I like how durable it is; you can drag a chair across it and it won't scratch. If you spill something on it, you can just wipe it off. Some products will scuff and scratch, but Trex doesn't. If you look at a Trex deck that's five or six years old, it looks like we just installed it."

With the right materials and the right design, a deck built by Amazing Decks can make a major difference, both now and in the future.

"We had a customer who just bought a new house, and we had put the deck on his old house," Wilson says. "There were four other houses on his street for sale, so he was nervous about putting the house up. But it sold within two weeks of hitting the market. He had offers from every person who saw the house, and they all said it was because of the deck. That was a proud moment. It wasn't extravagant, it was just designed right."

Amazing Decks
Ambler, Pa.
(833) 774-8646
AnotherAmazingDeck.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 24, Issue 4 (March 2024)
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