Stone Age decks offer a beautiful, classic paver aesthetic, while LockDry aluminum decks provide a modern, seamless look — and both are exclusively available from Kool View.
The right deck can provide countless hours of relaxation and enjoyment, and it’s important to choose the right deck builder, too, which can help you avoid ongoing headaches and maintenance expense.
We have been in business for over 50 years, and have installed thousands of decks in Madison, WI, and the surrounding area. One thing we have strived for is to offer the absolute best decking products available on the market. After using composite decking for years, there were growing concerns about product quality, durability, safety — and warranties — so we’ve opted to stop installing these types of decks. Instead, we offer two decking options that offer maximum durability and longevity: Stone Age decks and LockDry aluminum decks. In addition, we continue to offer traditional treated wood decks, as they remain a dependable and affordable option for homeowners. We guarantee that you can build a Kool View room over your new deck at any future date without additional cost for structural enhancements.
WEAR & TEAR
Stone Age Decks will outperform any composite decking on almost any level. Fading, abrasion, stability, fire resistance are the main differences. Composite decks fade. Fading is not usually covered by the warranty and considered part of normal wear and tear. If you have to replace a deck board after a couple years don’t expect it to color match the existing deck. Stone Age decks don’t fade-period! Composites plastic coating is softer than the Stone Age compressed concrete, so it scratches easier. Composite decking expands and contracts with temperature. If not installed properly it will buckle and twist. Stone Decking does not expand and contract. If you cook on your deck you may spill hot grease or drop a hot coal on the deck occasionally. Composite decking can melt and burn. Stone age decking is fireproof. Hot grease cleans up easily with Dawn dish soap.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
Composite decking touts that it recycles material that would otherwise end up in the landfill. The sad fact is that they are only delaying the inevitable. There is no current technology to recycle used composite decking, so guess where it goes! Stone Age decking is made from sand and gravel along with natural occurring binders. It can be ground up and remanufactured. If it is put in a landfill it will not outgas or leach any contaminating chemicals.
MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS
Both composite and Stone Age decks need little maintenance other than occasional cleaning. The difference is repairs. A composite deck is held down with clips. They make replacement difficult. You must remove the entire board up to 20’ long. Stone Age decking uses no fasteners. The pavers ‘float’ on top of the deck and can be easily pried up with a screwdriver.
Stone Age Decks look brand new long after composite decks wear out. We have replaced dozens of composite decks that are less than 20 years old with Stone Age Decks. Composite decking is made of plastic and plant fiber, usually wood, saw dust and peanut shells. Plant fiber absorbs water and expands, causing the deck board to split open and deteriorate. Plant fiber is also a perfect environment for mold and moss growth. As a result, composite deck manufacturers have been sued many times over the years for deceptive advertising and poor product performance. To combat deterioration, most composite manufacturers now cap deck boards with a solid PVC plastic coating. The coating is designed to stabilize fading and to keep water out of the core. But if the PVC coating is damaged, and allows water into the core, the deck board will swell up along the damaged area and look terrible. Some composite deck manufacturers now process the plant fibers so they cannot absorb water. But this technology comes at a price.
Stone Age Decks do not fade. Not now. Not ever. Unfortunately for Madison homeowners with a faded composite deck, fading is not usually not part of the warranty. And if you ever need to replace a deck board, it will not color match the existing deck due to fading.
Stone Age deck pavers do not shrink or expand. Composite decks expand and contract with the temperature, creating gaps in cold weather. Homeowners with composite decks can expect gaps at the end of deck boards during cold periods.
Stone Age Decks use no fasteners, just gravity and sand to hold pavers in place. We use a special adhesive on perimeters and steps. No visible fasteners. With composite decks and perimeter boards, you can’t hide fasteners. You’ll always see some screw heads on composite decks. Most Madison homeowners want a deck without visible fasteners tarnishing its appearance.
Stone Age Decks offer unbelievable design and color selections. Stone Age pavers come in many sizes and styles, with 4 standard colors and 15 optional colors, in 8 paver styles, design choices are almost unlimited! We can custom design a deck that is truly your own, one-of-a-kind creation.
Top Rated Decking
If you want a deck that has the appearance of high-quality flooring and performance to match this is a deck for you. Consumer Reports rates LockDry Aluminum decking at the top of 20 tested products including composite, plastic, and wood decking. LockDry Aluminum decking inner locks with adjacent planks to create a seamless, gapless surface.
LockDry Aluminum decking has a built-in gutter system that keeps the underdeck area dry. That makes it perfect for those who want to use the underdeck area for storage or as a roof for an underdeck room. It also can help eliminate foundation leaks and wet basements by directing drainage away from the house.
Aluminum is not a heat sink. If you bake a lot, you know that you can reach into your hot oven, and carefully, remove aluminum foil with bare hands and not get burned. That is because aluminum does not absorb and store heat. It absorbs and re-radiates it immediately. Tests show that LockDry Aluminum decking stays cooler than any other decking material, including wood.
LockDry Aluminum decking is tops at resisting wear and tear. It’s also low maintenance and eco-friendly. The no-slip powder coated surface is tough as nails. If you do get a scratch or abrasion a brush on touch up is available. The surface is easy to clean, fireproof and resistant to staining and chemicals. The decking is made from recycled aluminum and can out last your lifetime, but if you ever decide to replace it, they will pay you to recycle it!
Treated with a new twist …
Treated decking is rated higher by Consumer Reports than some of the most popular composite decking products. It is by far the lowest cost decking available.
Homeowners are sometimes concerned about the maintenance and durability of wood decking. That is where our new twist comes into play. With every wood deck we build, you get the best wood decking preservative available. It is not a stain. It is a wood preservative that is absorbed into the wood and protects it from UV light, fading and damage, and it offers water protection. It does give treated wood a richer wood appearance and preserves that appearance for years. Although it seals out water it allows water vapor to pass, much like the way house wrap (Tyvek) protects your house from moisture damage. We use the best 5/4 treated planking available to give you the best-looking deck possible.
Treated wood decks are more affordable and give you much the same enjoyment as other decking options.
Deck Builders & Resurfacing Experts with Experience that Counts
For more than 35 years, Kool View has been creating amazing spaces where Madison area homeowners can enjoy the great outdoors in comfort and beauty. You won’t find more conscientious or experienced deck builders and resurfacing experts in the Madison area.
With decades of experience, we also offer consultations on deck design. Feel free to get in touch and let us know how we can help you create the deck of your dreams.