Sarah’s DIY dream platform deck

Everson, WA

Sarah and her husband James spent years dealing with the constant maintenance that comes with having a wood deck. “There was so much upkeep,” Sarah says. “Living in the Pacific Northwest, we need a deck that can withstand the seasons and is easy.” So when they bought a new home with a TimberTech deck and acres of land, Sarah and James saw the potential to create more beautiful outdoor spaces. “There was no question we wanted to continue to add TimberTech to our property,” Sarah says — and a new platform deck was first on the list.

Meet Sarah Wagner

“Not being a deck builder, there was a bit of a learning curve. But the people at TimberTech were very helpful and our deck turned out great!”

– Sarah

Dreaming of Homemaking blogger and DIYer Sarah Wagner shares her tips, tricks, and insights for learning to love her home and make it her own — like upgrading from wood to beautiful, low-maintenance TimberTech Decking. She shares her home with her DIYer husband James and their four children.

“A cedar deck might sound cool,” James adds, “but we don’t want the upkeep of wood. Our TimberTech deck gives us the wood look we want.” For Sarah and James’ real wood look, they chose the Vintage Collection® in Weathered Teak.

Sarah Wagner and her husband James Wagner holding their Timbertech swatches, in front of decking black and white chessboard under an overcast sky with white fluffy clouds. This was before the full deck was built.

“I would definitely suggest getting samples,” James says. “TimberTech makes it easy and lets you select four free samples.“ We thought we wanted a trendy gray,” Sarah says, “but our samples helped us realize we really wanted a more natural wood look.”

A 3D rendering of four white patio chairs, brown couches a round glass topped table and end table. The couches are shaded by a brown tan umbrella. The rendering is surrounded by a green rectangular prism. This rendering has been created with the TimberTech's 3D Deck Designer.

James designed their 30′ x 21′ platform deck using our 3D deck designer. “This amazing tool makes it easy for you to not only dream,” Sarah says, “but to make your deck a reality.” With this tool, our other DIY resources, and easy to cut and handle TimberTech products, James and Sarah conquered this project DIY-style.

Color tip: “The light makes a difference,” James says, “so make sure to look at your samples outside when choosing your color.” We also recommend looking at different times of day so you can see how the changing light affects your favorite colors.

When it comes to resale, investing in an easy, low-maintenance TimberTech deck can give your home a leg up over other listings. “It was one of the biggest selling points of this house,” Sarah says. “The only work we have to do is occasionally clean it with TimberTech DeckCleaner and a brush,” James adds, “it’s that easy!”