- Is pressure-treated still a smart deck choice, or is composite the only real answer?
- PT is still smart when the budget says so — it’s a strong, code-sound deck at a genuinely lower price, and for many Rochester families that’s the right call. The trade is labor: cleaning and resealing every year or two, or the wood grays and checks its way to an early replacement. Composite flips the equation — more up front, then basically nothing. Neither answer is wrong; we price your layout in both and let the honest numbers, not the brochure, make the argument.
- Why do deck footings have to be 48 inches deep here?
- Because that’s where New Hampshire’s frost line sits, and concrete poured shallower than it becomes a frost-heave machine: the ground above the line freezes, expands, and lifts the footing — racking the deck, twisting railings, and working the ledger connection loose season after season. Footings below 48 inches sit on ground that never freezes, so the deck stays where we built it. It’s more digging and more concrete than a shortcut job, and it’s the least optional line in the estimate.
- Does A&E Home Improvement offer decks services throughout Rochester?
- Yes — all of Rochester is inside our active service area, and decks is one of the services we most want to be doing there. We're based in nearby Tilton, insured, and owner-operated, so scheduling an on-site visit in Rochester is easy.
- How do I get a decks estimate in Rochester?
- Call 603-455-0221 or use the contact form and tell us about the project. We'll schedule an on-site visit in Rochester — most within the week — and put the estimate in writing, itemized, with no obligation.
